News that a schoolboy is being held by police in connection with a
hit-and-run ski death at an Italian resort, shows how inherent the
dangers are on the slopes.

This is a very tragic accident that, though still a rare occurrence,
is not an isolated event and resorts in Switzerland and Austria now
have speed patrols to take action against the â??boy racersâ?? and
â??speed merchantsâ?? who endanger others by their actions.

Other countries will follow suit as this trend increases. But alarm
bells should be ringing here, not just against the rise in the accident
rate on the slopes, but that recent surveys still show a high number of
people going abroad without any , it
does seem to be an unnecessary risk to take. It is not necessary to pay
through the nose these days and if you are prepared to surf the net
then there some excellent deals to be had.

And now itâ??s official, well according to Thomas Cook it is. With over
30 tour operators and more that 20 airlines failing in 2008, the head
of Thomas Cooke has predicted that up to 15 more British travel
companies will collapse in the first quarter of 2009.

This is being put down to cash flow problems during the leanest
months of the year. â??If companies can survive the next three months
they should be fine, but this period is crucial,� he said.

The financial crisis is likely to claim more victims so it is
important to get some protection. Some insurers offer Passenger
Protection Insurance, often termed Dynamic Packaging Protection, sold
separately or part of a , require their members to protect their
customerâ??s money in the event of an AITO member going into
liquidation.

Ski resorts have opened early across Europe and those going to North
america will find resorts in Canada and New England doing the same.

Andorra in the Pyrenees is reporting the best start to a season for
40 years with record snowfall. Despite the pound sliding against both
the Euro and the dollar, holiday prices appear to be lower than last
year in many European countries, as much as 20% cheaper according to
the latest survey from Co-operative Travel and in North America, the
price of a ski package has also fallen sharply, by 11% in Whistler and
Lake Tahoe.

From the 1st November 2008
used for propulsion the balance as a percentage for domestic use. HMRC
and the industry suggest a split of 60% for propulsion and 40% for
domestic use, but the apportionment split is purely down to the owners
intended usage and a level of honesty is required. After all HRMC may
review the situation if the system does not work.

The wording prescribed by HMR&C for this declaration is:-

“I declare that [ ] % of the fuel purchased will be used for
propelling a private pleasure craft? and then the owner will be asked
to pay the full rate of duty on the declared proportion of the fuel
purchased. The vendor may also have a form to complete. Once the
declaration is made there is nothing more to do.