Italy has become the first country to make winter sports insurance mandatory for people using ski slopes.
Skiers and snowboarders will be required to have third party liability insurance in the same way that car insurance is a legal necessity for driving on public roads.
The PlanetSKI website said: “The penalty for not doing so will be a fine up to €150 and the withdrawal of the ski pass.”
It reported that an official decree stipulated “the skier who uses the alpine ski slopes must have valid insurance covering his civil liability for damages or injuries caused to third parties”.
The report said it is unclear how the system will be policed – and estimated that up to 20% of UK people do not take out insurance for their ski holiday.