Winter sport holidaymakers have been advised they ensure they have adequate travel insurance as a third of travel insurance claims come from winter sports, it has been revealed.

New research by personal injury specialist, Paul Rooney Partnership, has found that skiing and snowboarding holidays are a major cause of accidents for holidaymakers.

A spokesman for the company said: "Compared to a beach holiday, the chances of injury are considerably higher, so it's especially important that skiers and snowboarders take out a good insurance policy that will cover them in the event of an accident on the slopes."

The spokesperson added that many of these holidaymakers are trying the sport for their first time and the popularity of skiing holidays is growing rapidly as more Brits are opting for winter sports.

The research also revealed that skiers are most likely to injure their knees or thumbs whilst snowboards are more likely to suffer from injuries to the forearm, wrists or ankles.

Yet research from a price comparison site found that nearly 30 per cent of those who travel abroad for winter sports chose not to take out travel insurance.

As holidaymakers prefer to save more during the current economic crisis, more holidaymakers opt for the cheapest insurance rather than the most adequate while some travellers chose not to take out travel insurance at all. This however, could end up being more expensive in the long run, insurers had previously warned.