British holidaymakers are still getting into trouble abroad, a study by the Foreign Office has revealed.
Foreign Office figures from April 2006 to March 2007 show that 8,304 British people needed assistance in the US, 6,710 passports were lost in Spain and 602 Brits were hospitalised in Greece. A total of 1,591 UK nationals died in Spain over the same period.
Foreign Office minister Meg Munn said: “This report highlights what goes wrong on holiday. It is a reminder to all that taking out comprehensive travel insurance is a crucial part of your holiday planning and not something that should be sacrificed to save a few pounds.”
Meanwhile, Indonesia showed the highest rate of travellers needing serious assistance, followed by Pakistan and then India. Spain had the highest number of hospitalisations at 695, followed by Greece and then Thailand.
Brits were most likely to be arrested in Cyprus, followed by the USA and the United Arab Emirates.
“Most of the Brits arrested in the UAE..were detained as a result of the county’s zero tolerance policy on drugs, with as little as 0.01g leading to people being arrested and detained,” added Munn.
“Low tolerance of alcohol related activities and driving offences and any perceived anti-Islamic behaviour also contributed.”