The UK ambassador to Spain has praised the UK travel industry for co-operating to help stamp out bogus gastric illness complaints by British holidaymakers.
The issue tarnished the reputation of British tourists to the country, Simon Manley told the Abta Travel Convention in Seville.
However, action to abolish false illness claims in a country that attracted almost 19 million British holidaymakers last year has revived the reputation of UK tourists.
Manley attributed the turn around to the “fundamental quality” of collaboration between Abta and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
But Manley revealed that there had been 330 British deaths and 400 people taken to hospital this year in Spain, many being young travellers.
“We are in the business to try and prevent those as well as learning the lessons of this summer,” he added.
His comments follows a summer when many British holidaymakers fell from hotel balconies, with several deaths.
Manley went on to stress that the government was continuing to work to ensure frictionless travel and the continuity of aviation agreements to allow freedom of travel to continue after Brexit.
Contingencies were also being put in place to deal with a no-deal Brexit, he stressed.
“One thing is for sure, our partnership will continue to ensure tourism continues to flourish,” Manley said.
More: Travel Weekly’s Fight Fake Claims campaign
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