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The leaflet gives clear advice on five key areas: Accommodation, Fire Safety, Swimming Pools, Personal Safety, Out and About and Food and Drink.

ABTA urges travellers to be particularly careful in supervising children in and around swimming pools, and to be aware that the highest levels of incidents occur in spending too much time unprotected in the sun and road traffic accidents.

With over 45 million holidays taken overseas and millions more in the UK, it’s essential that consumers have access to this useful guide that can help stop the most enjoyable time of the year becoming a nightmare.

Much of the advice is good common sense but other areas covered would not automatically spring to mind, especially when your natural inclination on holiday is to relax, unwind and let your guard down.  Ask your local travel agent for a copy of the leaflet or download it at www.abta.com/consumer-services/worry_free_travel.

Angie Hills ABTA Head of Health and Safety said:  “Going on holiday is meant to be the most enjoyable time of year. Our How to Have a Safe and Healthy Holiday leaflet is intended to help our customers avoid the kind of problems that can ruin a holiday. We would advise everyone to pick up a copy from our members when booking.”

Jess Prasad, Head of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s Know Before You Go Campaign, which helps Brits to stay safe and healthy abroad said: “The vast majority of people have trouble-free holidays when they go away, but sadly, if things do go wrong, they are often preventable. This useful guide goes through some basic points to think about when you are way so that you can minimise the risks.”  
 
Further useful links for preparing for your holiday include the Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s Know Before You Go website, www.fco.gov.uk, the travel health information website: www.nathnac.org, passport information www.ips.gov.uk.

14 July 2009

For further information contact:
Sean Tipton, Communications Officer, tel: 020 3117 0513,
Frances Tuke, Public Relations Manager, tel: 020 3117 0514, Mobile 07850 712 325,
Casia Zajac, Head of Communications, tel: 020 3117 0515, Mobile: 07545 927 411
Out of Hours:  Contact the Duty Press Officer via pager: 07659 190 987
E-mail: press@abta.co.uk
Web: www.abta.com
 
Notes to Editors
ABTA – The Travel Association was founded in 1950 and currently has over 1,300 members with over 5,500 outlets. Members include travel agents, tour operators and support services right across the spectrum from small family-owned businesses to the largest tour operators. 

ABTA is the largest travel association in the UK and its members provide 90% of the foreign package holidays in the UK as well as selling millions of independent travel arrangements. 

In 2008 ABTA merged with the Federation of Tour Operators [FTO], thereby cementing its role as the leading travel association and increasing benefits for both ABTA and FTO members. Both the ABTA brand which is highly recognised by consumers and the FTO brand which is well known in destinations will be retained.

As part of its comprehensive package of services to members, ABTA, as a non-party political organisation, also provides an effective voice to represent the interests of its Members to government and key opinion formers at the highest levels.  In the UK, these include, government ministers, constituency MPs, Select Committee members, senior civil servants and members of the political opposition parties in both Westminster and the devolved administrations in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. 

In Europe, ABTA is forming close ties with members of the European Parliament, the European Commission and staff within the Director Generals’ Secretariats. ABTA works in partnership with ECTAA (the European grouping of travel agents and tour operators’ associations) to lobby on interests relevant to its Members.

About Know Before You Go
The FCO’s Know Before You Go campaign encourages British nationals to prepare for their foreign travel so they can avoid preventable problems.  The campaign targets a number of audiences, from gap year students to package holidaymakers; sports fans to older travellers and people visiting friends and family abroad.  The campaign works with nearly 300 travel industry partners to communicate its messages.  For more information please visit www.fco.gov.uk/travel