Survey Finds That Brits Don't Care About Holiday Health

A new survey by hygiene experts at www.checksafetyfirst.com has found that less than a third of British holidaymakers think about their health before booking a break.

The survey, which was carried out amongst UK tourists in nine countries over May June and July of this year, found that health and safety was considered by only 32% of holidaymakers. Instead, the survey showed that we care more about costs, star ratings and destinations than our own wellbeing.

But www.checksafetyfirst.com CEO Steve Tate is not surprised by the findings:

"Health is one of the most important things we take away with us, but it is rarely something we think about until arriving on holiday or first start to feel unwell. If you weigh these findings up against what people think they get from the star system, you get a much clearer picture of the situation."

When participants were asked what they would expect from a highly star-rated hotel or cruise ship, more than 90% thought they would receive good service and food. However, and more worryingly as far as Tate is concerned, consumers appear to be taking it for granted that accommodation would be clean, hygienic and safe.

"The majority of the travelling public don't realise that the star system does not account for issues such as food hygiene and swimming pool safety and our survey has highlighted this gap in public perception," commented Tate. "It seems that people don't think about the health of their family before booking the holiday because they assume that the star system will look after them. The truth is that there is no relation between the two areas and many holidaymakers put themselves at risk because this is not made clear to them."

Unsurprisingly, the survey indicated that the majority of tourists would always choose 5 star accommodation if money were no option, but www.checksafetyfirst.com is urging people to think twice before spending their money on the most expensive holiday they can afford.

Tate and his team advocate a 'book-smart' approach to selecting a holiday destination, advising travellers to search out online information about their prospective accommodation before parting with money. Checksafetyfirst.com also advises people to ask their travel agent or tour operator about the measures that the accommodation they are looking at has in place to safeguard against poor hygiene.

About Check Safety First\ Check Safety First is one of the world's leading independent food safety experts, offering hygiene training, ongoing assessment and appraisals to holiday resorts throughout the World in accordance with the Cristal Mark, a standard developed in accordance with the World Health Organisation's guidelines and the benchmark for food safety since its launch in 1997.

The company's web site www.checksafetyfirst.com is the first site to provide the UK's travelling public with access to a database of venues that have obtained the Cristal Mark for their efforts in food safety.

Check Safety First is a member of the Foreign & Commonwealth Office's 'Know Before You Go' campaign.

Check Safety First's global network is headquartered at Manor House, Bank Street, Chepstow, Monmouthshire, NP16 5EL, UK. Tel: 01291 629863. Fax: 01291 629627.