Call for an instant quote 0345 90 80 161
Open Mon to Fri 09:00 - 17:30 | Sat 09:00 - 16:00 (GMT)
05 July 2013 09:38
Millions of Brits have begun jetting off for their summer holidays
British travellers heading abroad are being advised to take extra care on balconies after a spate of accidents.
The Government and travel association ABTA have launched a campaign after the death of one Briton and the injuries of three others in recent weeks. In total there have been seven reported cases this year, and last year there were 14.
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) says many of the incidents involved young people drinking alcohol.
Keeping an eye on your alcohol intake and ensuring you have adequate travel insurance are obviously top of the list when spending time relaxing on hotel balconies this summer. Problems can arise when travellers are suffering sunstroke and the associated dizziness.
The new campaign is aimed at highlighting the need for vigilance, after accidents in the popular destinations of Sunny Beach in Bulgaria, and Majorca in Spain. The message is particularly aimed at young people.
"We see too many people permanently injured or worse because they've tried to climb over or dive off their hotel balcony," said Nikki White, ABTA's Head of Destinations and Sustainability.
"We want people to enjoy their holidays but would advise them to think about the ramifications of their behaviour abroad. Incidents such as these have devastating consequences for holidaymakers and for their families," she continued.
White said the campaign aims to make people "stop and think" about how they use their balconies during overseas holidays. She said she hopes the efforts can "prevent more of these tragic and avoidable incidents".
The advice from the FCO and ABTA is to consider risk and recognise that alcohol can impair judgment, with this often compounded by weather factors and dehydration. They also advise all travellers to purchase comprehensive travel insurance in order to be prepared in case something does go wrong.
Figures released this month show travellers going to Spain are most likely to need consular assistance, with 1,105 of those cases being hospitalisations.
19 July 2018
The flu vaccination does not appear to have been effective in protecting against so-called Aussie flu, figures show.
[more...]
18 July 2018
Bowel cancer screening tests could also provide an insight into whether patients are at risk of other illnesses, a new study has revealed.
17 July 2018
France is still celebrating today after its national football team brought home football's biggest prize after a thrilling final in Moscow.
14 July 2018
Too many passengers heading abroad this summer will be travelling without adequate protection for when an airline goes bust, a new study has shown.
13 July 2018
The mother of Bradley Lowery has welcomed the news that a drug used to help treat her son will soon be made available for other patients on the NHS.
12 July 2018
British GPs have prevented thousands of strokes after learning how to better identify and treat a common heart condition, research has shown.
11 July 2018
London City Airport is considering lodging an application to increase flight and passenger numbers, its boss has revealed.
10 July 2018
Captain Harry Kane is leading England's unexpected bid for glory, and is hoping to inspire the next generation of footballers by going all the way in Russia.
07 July 2018
Experts have warned that a lack of rigorous testing of skin cancer detection apps is putting the public at risk.
06 July 2018
Easyjet has added to worries that travellers are set for a summer of chaos, revealing that nearly 1,300 flights were cancelled last month.
05 July 2018
Soaring temperatures across the UK have led to a surge of asthma sufferers calling a dedicated asthma helpline, a charity has revealed.
04 July 2018
Strikes across Europe led Ryanair to cancel over 1,000 flights in June, the budget airline has revealed.