The Safer Tourism Foundation has warned holidaymakers about the dangers of the “holiday head” mindset which could lead to a greater risk of adverse incidents and accidents.
The charity analysed 2022 and 2023 travel data from its Safer Tourism Pledge partners – such as Tui and Hotelplan – and found that the chances of an incident are “incredibly low”.
Of the seven million-plus trips in the dataset, fewer than 1% of travellers reported any kind of incident to their travel company (0.38%).
“Where incidents occur, it is often due to a mismatch between the type of trip/activity and the physical capabilities of the traveller,” said Kathy Atkinson, chief executive of the Safer Tourism Foundation.
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In a blog, she said: “Optimism bias abounds on holidays – the idea that nothing bad will happen to us. At Safer Tourism, we’ve dubbed this mindset the ‘Holiday Head’.
“It can be a good thing – the sense of optimism and being outside of our normal routine makes us more likely to try things we wouldn’t usually at home.
“But the ‘Holiday Head’ can also lead to people pushing their bodies beyond their limits, may contribute to them thinking they are more physically fit than they really are or inadvertently eating something they shouldn’t.
“We always encourage travellers to make sure they have the right travel insurance for them, so that if anything does go wrong, they are supported appropriately.
“Getting the right insurance is paramount.”
Slips, trips and falls are the most common incidents in the data, accounting for nearly one in five non-Covid related incidents.
Allergic reactions, most often to food, are becoming of increasing concern to the charity and many travel companies, added Atkinson.
It also noted “an increased proportion of bike accidents, particularly on group rides where there is a gravelly descent, where people are perhaps distracted by other riders or when they are attempting to reach their water bottle or adjust a piece of kit such as a GoPro”.
The charity has shared its findings with Safer Tourism Pledge partners to discuss best practices and enhance safety prevention.
The Safer Tourism Foundation is an independent charity working to save lives and prevent serious harm and injuries to UK travellers, at home and abroad.
It was established in 2016, 10 years after the deaths of two children, Bobby and Christi Shepherd, who died from carbon monoxide poisoning while on holiday in Corfu in 2006.