THE travel industry estimates that some 30 million package holidays in the UK will be taken this year and, unfortunately, not all will go without a hitch. Yet when Brits travelling abroad for that precious week or two in the sun are unhappy, few of them are prepared to make a complaint, according to new research by HolidayTravelWatch, the independent consumer champion for quality holidays.
Short-term sickness, along with unexpected changes to flight times and delayed flights, was the biggest issue, faced by one in ten holidaymakers from the UK. Most people get over a holiday illness within a few days, but 35 per cent of those who took part in the survey said it took them up to two weeks to recover fully. The annual cost to the UK economy of people falling ill while on holiday is estimated at £240 million ($377 million), so there is a major knock on effect.“Nobody likes being ill during a much longed for holiday, but shrugging it off is not necessarily the best course of action, especially if symptoms persist after your return to the UK,” says Frank Brehany, consumer director at HolidayTravelWatch.“People don’t think about the impact on their home life if they’re unable to take part in family activities, for example, or on their employer’s business if they have to take time off work to recuperate, but this can be considerable.”Other major irritations included having to deal with rude or unhelpful staff and poor quality food. Although almost a fifth (19 per cent) of respondents experienced this kind of problem, more than eight in ten did not complain to their travel company or rep, while 77 per cent did not claim on their travel insurance. In fact, just 4 per cent of respondents said they claimed for sickness while on holiday.Worryingly, almost 70 per cent of people who did raise issues while in resort, did not feel their complaint was taken seriously. A quarter of those who were ill were told this was due to a bug/virus going around, while two in ten were accused of having too much to drink and 22 per cent were advised that a change to their diet must have been the cause.When things go wrong UK holidaymakers don’t tend to complain because they don’t understand their rights. HolidayTravelWatch says consumer rights are enshrined in the package travel regulations and advises people to make a complaint, in writing, at the time illness strikes, as this gives the hotel and/or travel company the opportunity to put things right. If no action is taken, and/or one is still feeling the effects of an illness after arriving home, it advises follow up with a written complaint and make a claim on travel insurance within 28 days of their return to the UK.The latter course of action assumes an appreciation of the benefits of travel insurance. Worryingly, when asked if they had made a complaint to their insurer, 11 per cent of those surveyed admitted they did not take out travel insurance. One of the reasons for this is that people travelling to Europe believe the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) is all they need, but this does not provide full cover and since it costs at least £30,000 ($47,076) to repatriate someone by medical air ambulance, HolidayTravelWatch says travel insurance is vital. To ensure the policy meets your needs, always declare any pre-existing medical conditions and check the level of cover, because it is easy to incorporate extra cover for activities such as water sports.According to the research, of the 30 per cent who complained to their travel company, four in ten said they received an apology but no compensation. This is good news in one respect, says HolidayTravelWatch, pointing out it has been concerned about reports of travel firms offering a financial incentive to try and dissuade people from making a complaint. Its advice to holidaymakers is never to accept a ‘compensation’ offer, particularly on behalf of children, without first seeking independent advice.“Since some of us get to take just one holiday a year, we were surprised to learn that British consumers are willing to put up with all sort of problems, even illness,” concludes Frank.“Often it’s because they don’t know their rights, but it’s also the case that holidaymakers don’t consider the hidden costs of falling ill such as the impact on their family. It’s time people looked at a holiday in the same light as any other product or service they buy, and, if they aren’t happy with it, complain. After all, if we don’t complain, how are holiday problems going to be resolved so that others don’t experience them in the future?”