Call for an instant quote 0345 90 80 161
Open Mon to Fri 09:00 - 17:30 | Sat 09:00 - 16:00 (GMT)
08 August 2014 09:06
Holiday... a reason to celebrate, but not if you have the same experience suffered by some holidaymakers in the Balearics of late
Families have spoken of scenes reminiscent of a horror movie after a vomiting bug hit 70 UK holidaymakers in Spain's Balearic Islands - just days after another 100 took ill in Egypt.
At least 50 people became sick at the Club Mac Alcudia on Mallorca, with another 20 taking ill at the Stil Victoria Playa on Menorca.
Several young children ended up in hospital as a result of the outbreak, and many families reported that their holidays had been ruined.
This illustrates why it is important to have health provision of some kind covered as part of worldwide travel insurance.
One 32-year-old woman from Washington, Tyne and Wear, described how her daughter became so ill she had to be taken to hospital. Emma Watkins described grim scenes with people "throwing up all over the place", while her three-year-old girl Faye had to be put on a drip.
Ms Watkins had been staying at Mallorca's Club Mac Alcudia with her partner John Briggs, 34, and two children, and found that the pool at the hotel had been closed without a stated reason.
Holiday firm Thomson were accused by other holidaymakers of "burying their heads in the sand" over sickness which broke out at Menorca's Stil Victoria Playa after they apparently told visitors they were "unaware" of any problems with sickness.
TripAdvisor was awash with negative comments about the hotel. One user, Susan B, from Manchester, described her family being confined to their room for 24 hours, requiring a 120-euro payment to see a doctor.
Thomson said it was aware of a "very small" number of sickness cases from the Victoria Playa hotel, and that advisers had been providing help and support to those affected. Independent investigations into the outbreak are under way, the operator said.
The outbreak follows a bug outbreak at an Egyptian resort that left 100 people ill - several of them having to be placed on a drip - at the four-star Coral Sea Waterworld complex in Sharm el Sheikh.
It is thought that the Shigella bug broke out, which can cause fever, stomach cramps and diarrhoea. Many holidaymakers reported being confined to their rooms, with some blaming the outbreak on poor hygiene and dirty forks.
23 September 2016
Theresa May is being urged to give the go-ahead for flights to resume between the UK and Sharm el-Sheikh by the head of the cross-party parliamentary group on Egypt.
[more...]
22 September 2016
Budget airline Jet2.com is to open its first base in the south of England at Stansted.
21 September 2016
Smoking rates have dropped to the lowest level on record in England, new figures show, suggesting messages about the health effects of cigarettes are hitting home.
20 September 2016
Concerns have been raised over flight disruptions caused by heavy drinking among passengers.
17 September 2016
British Airways' decision to launch direct flights from London to Tehran earlier this month positions Iran as one of the hottest destinations to visit in 2017, according to experts.
16 September 2016
More than 100 flights have been cancelled as French air traffic controllers go on strike again.
15 September 2016
Two thirds of MPs would support an expansion at Heathrow.
14 September 2016
TripAdvisor is launching a new homepage, making the booking of holiday activities and tours even easier.
13 September 2016
Travellers are to be charged to use fast lanes to get through passport checks in an attempt to cut queues.
09 September 2016
People travelling to regions affected by the Zika virus outbreak should practise safe sex for at least half a year upon their return, health leaders say.
08 September 2016
British Airways is apologising to passengers for delays after an IT glitch hit check-in systems.
07 September 2016
Tiny particles that are breathed in and taken into the brain through air pollution could trigger Alzheimer's disease, research finds.