Sickness scams could see Britons banned

● Holidaymakers threatened with end to all-inclusive foreign holidays

UK holidaymakers could be banned from all-inclusive breaks unless they stop making bogus food poisoning claims, tour operators have warned.

Travel bosses have been left “embarrassed” by the huge spike in reports of holiday sickness, which they describe as “a British problem”.

Most cases involve allinclusive resorts as claimants say they only ate at their hotel in a bid to identify it as the cause of supposed food poisoning.

Travel trade organisation Abta has launched a campaign urging the government to close a “legal loophole” it says is encouraging lawyers to sign up people to insist they were ill even if they were not.

Tens of thousands of UK holidaymakers have made claims in the past year despite reported sickness levels in resorts remaining stable.

Since spring 2016 travel firm Tui has recorded around 15 times more illness claims than in previous years.

They are typically worth around £3,000 to £5,000 – which is more than the cost of many of the holidays involved.

In cases where operators make a payout, they can try to claw the money back from the hotels themselves.

But Tui’s UK managing director, Nick Longman, said there has been “friction” between

0 Nick Longman of TUI, second right, and travel industry leaders call for action to reduce the number of false holiday sickness claims the two sides, with hoteliers initially believing “we weren’t doing enough” to stop the scam. He said the bogus claims could lead to the end of all-inclusive holidays for UK customers.

“There’s a distinct risk that if this carries on as it is unabated, the hoteliers will say to us either ‘We don’t want to work with the British market at all’ or ‘We’re not going to offer you all-inclusive’.”

Thomas Cook’s UK managing director, Chris Mottershead, also warned that the scam could lead to the end of such holidays.

Tour operators say the sickness issue is ruining the reputation of UK tourists abroad.

Mr Longman described the situation as “totally embarrassing”, adding: “A hotel will have customers from four or five markets of Tui and it will only be the British customers who are complaining. All you can do is say ‘We’re sorry’.”