The Foreign Office has issued a report about the behaviour of a small minority of British tourists who can cause big problems, as this Daily Mail report shows:
A new FCO report on the behaviour of Britons on holiday has revealed that thousands of tourists were arrested or forced to seek hospital treatment last year, often because they had consumed too much alcohol.
The report, which looked at incidents involving British tourists between April 2009 and March 2010, found that around six thousands travellers lost their lives while abroad. Drink, drugs and road traffic accidents were among the primary reasons for the deaths.
Spain, the US and France were the countries where British visitors needed the most consular assistance.
The report found that ‘most arrests involving British people in Spain are for drunk or drink-related offences’. The highest proportion of arrests for drug offences was in Thailand, Cyprus and the United Arab Emirates.
The research also highlights the need for adequate travel insurance with the FCO publishing examples of incidents involving travellers who faced huge bills after hitting problems while abroad without the correct cover.
One man on a skiing holiday was forced to pay a 4,500-euro bill for mountain rescue, transport and medical costs after he fell and broke his collarbone while on a ski holiday because he didn’t have comprehensive travel insurance.
Drunken behaviour is also cited as a big problem with overseas authorities often making an example of those who act inappropriately. A Briton who urinated on one of Latvia’s most revered monuments was sentenced to five days in custody.
In the sunshine resort of Malia on Crete, this week, a UK reporter found himself on the receiving end of drunken violence after he was attacked by a Greek bar owner for trying to film a young British woman who was ‘comatose’ with drink.
Richard Gaisford, a journalist for GMTV, was punched in the face and had his microphone stolen while filming a piece on the FCO report. He said: ‘I’ve just been smashed in the face, probably by one of the guys here who are very keen to protect the image of this place. And that image is not good.’
Young Britons flock to the Greek resort for the party atmosphere. Doctors at Malia’s medical centre, where drunk tourists often find themselves, defended the area’s boozy reputation: ‘The problem here is that the people drink alcohol but it’s less this year than last. This year, we’ve [also] not had so many people with drugs.’
Among other warnings, the FCO advises travellers to be aware of stricter laws abroad, to ensure travel insurance is comprehensive and to research which vaccinations are needed for travel to certain countries. Visit http://www.fco.gov.uk/travel for advice, and to read the original article at the Daily Mail click here
For Lanzarote flights visit yourlanzarote.net
