SAFETY CAMPAIGN AIMED AT WINTER MUSIC FESTIVAL FANS
10th February 2020
Last modified on May 15th, 2021
The Travel Association ABTA has launched a new digital campaign offering advice to young skiers and snowboarders heading to festivals on the slopes.
It has teamed up with the UK’s Foreign & Commonwealth Office to come up with practical safety tips aimed primarily at 18 to 24-year-olds.
According to ABTA, 2.5 million young adults are taking or considering taking a winter holiday this year, with music festivals one of the main attractions.
The campaign will run via social media and through ABTA’s website, where safety tips for winter music festivals are featured on the Winter Sports Safety page.
“Most winter music festivals take place between February and April on the slopes of France, Austria and Switzerland, with popular bands attracting a young audience,” says Susan Deer, ABTA’s Director of Industry Relations.
“Whilst some may be seasoned festival-goers, for others this could be the first time they travel with friends, and it is important to remind them of simple actions that will make their time safer.”
The advice covers different areas, including preventing slips, trips and falls and looking out for friends in a group.
The campaign runs alongside the FCO’s Stick With Your Mates campaign on youth safety, created after research showed that being alone or being separated from your friends is a factor in some serious, or even fatal, incidents overseas.
A young Briton died in January this year after becoming separated from his friends on his way back to his accommodation:
Some of the big music festivals yet to take place in the Alps this winter include Rock The Pistes, which is on in the Portes du Soleil ski area between 15th and 21st March, and the Ischgl Top of the Mountain Closing Concert on 2nd May.
“The winter travel season provides an opportunity to enjoy the sounds, the sights and the slopes in a range of exciting destinations,” says Jennifer Anderson, Director of Consular Services at the Foreign Office, says.
“Most British people venturing to mountain resorts have a great time. But each year we are asked to provide support to people who have got into difficulty either through accident or injury or financially.
“Simple actions like sticking with your friends when skiing, out socialising or at festivals, making sure you have winter sports insurance, and reading our Ski-Safe guide ahead of your trip, can make all the difference when it comes to avoiding trouble.”
