Travel Weekly’s Fight Fake Claims campaign, launched this week to demand changes in the law to combat spiralling numbers of fraudulent gastric illness claims, has got off to a flying start.
We’ve asked the trade to back our demands and within hours of announcing the campaign firms representing 10,000 employees have signed up to back the aims of our campaign.
Among the first firms that signed our campaign statement are northeast travel agency Dawson and Sanderson, Midcounties Co-operative and the Freedom Travel Group.
This morning Travel Weekly deputy news editor Ben Ireland will talk about the campaign on BBC Radio Five Live as the issue, described by Abta as an “unprecedented assault” on our industry, attracts national interest.
Abta reports claims are up on average 500% since 2013 while the UK’s biggest travel firm Tui, which operates the all all-inclusive operator First Choice, has seen an astonishing 1,400% rise.
The vast majority of these claims are believed to be fake or exaggerated as they are being encouraged by claims management companies promising significant financial rewards to holidaymakers for making a claim.
Fight Fake Claims is demanding the law is changed to limit the legal costs these firms can make, and to bring gastric illness compensation in line with other personal injury claims.
We are also urging travel firms to find work together with overseas hoteliers to fight claims they believe to be false.
The explosion in claims is a serious threat to the package holiday sector as operators must by law take responsibility for the product and overseas hotels, which bear the brunt of the cost, are threatening to increase prices or stop selling to UK customers.
Lucy Huxley, Travel Weekly editor-in-chief, said: “We delighted that Fight Fake Claims has hit a nerve.
“We’ve been reporting on this issue for a number of months since we first noticed social media adverts appearing from claims management companies encouraging holidaymakers to submit claims.
“No one wants to deny compensation customers with a valid complaint but this is clearly a mass fraud being suffered by the industry and we could not just stand by and watch it happen.
“We appreciate this won’t be top of the agenda for the incoming government, good work by Abta and the big three, Tui, Thomas Cook, and Jet2holidays did manage to get it on their agenda before the election.
“We’re now looking for swift action once the new ministers are sworn in and would encourage as many of our readers as possible to sign up to support our campaign.”
