A new travel insurance offering free winter sports cover has been launched, holidaymakers may like to hear.

Insurer, Tesco Travel Insurance is offering travellers free winter sports cover for holidaymakers who purchase an annual insurance policy with the insurer.

The cover ensures that the policyholders, who take part in activities such as skiing and snowboarding, will not need to worry about the costs of injury in the case of an accident as any injuries will be covered by the insurer.

According to Head of Tesco Travel Insurance, Rachel Cutler, the offer was announced in order to provide customers the best deals during their winter holidays.

Recent research had found that despite the downturn of the current economic crisis, the popularity of skiing holidays has increased as more people intend to go away this Christmas.

As winter sport holidays increase, experts and insurers urge holidaymakers to ensure they have adequate travel insurance as ski slopes are one of the five biggest holiday injury locations, according to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Ms Cutler said: "You never know what might happen on holiday so it's best to be covered for the unexpected."

Holidaymakers are also being reminded that the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) is not a replacement for travel insurance.

A spokesperson for Sainsbury’s Travel Insurance, who issued the warning, said: "Many people wrongly overlook travel insurance because they think their EHIC card will cover them when they are abroad, but it will not cover you for private medical care, nor will it pay for you to be airlifted off a ski slope or repatriated to the UK. By not having travel insurance, many people are taking on a great risk when they travel in Europe."