A British couple has highlighted a growing and disconcerting trend involving all-inclusive holidays.
According to The Telegraph, a pair of tourists have filed a compensation claim against Jet2holidays and all-inclusive hotel Gloria Palace on the Spanish island of Gran Canaria, alleging their 2015 vacation was cut short by food poisoning.
The claim stated the couple fell ill on the second day of a 12-day trip and suffered "stomach cramps and severe diarrhea" that "spoiled the rest of the holiday."
However, the timing of the claim raised suspicion, and Jet2holidays uncovered evidence to the contrary.
"In the course of investigating the claim with the hotelier, it has come to light that their records show that the customers continued to enjoy a range of alcoholic drinks throughout the time of their illness," Jet2holidays told the Telegraph. "The night of the alleged onset of the illness, at least six shots of spirits and mixers were consumed."
"The night after the onset of the illness, cocktails and spirits were consumed. Two days after the onset of the illness, a very significant quantity of beers was consumed during the afternoon and spirits in the evening."
In total, the operator said the couple consumed 109 drinks over a nine-day period.
What appears to be a bogus claim is just the latest of many that are threatening the viability of all-inclusive vacations for British travelers.
Last month, the Mallorca Hotel Business Federation warned tour operators about a potential ban on U.K. visitors ahead of the 2018 season as a result of the skyrocketing lies. The spike is partly attributed to law firms that are reaching out to travelers and encouraging them to file false claims.
"We want our customers to have a great holiday and to continue to enjoy the benefits of all-inclusive. But the danger is that these fake holiday poisoning claims put the all-inclusive holiday at risk," Jet2holidays CEO Steve Heapy told The Telegraph.
[READMORE] READ MORE: Some Spanish Hotels May Ban British Guests[/READMORE]
The Telegraph reports that typical payouts for sickness claims range from $1,200 to $2,500. Hoteliers on the Spanish island of Mallorca have paid out more than $64 million in compensation over the past 18 months.
Heapy said he's calling on the British government to crack down on "food bug fraudsters." The government is currently weighing new laws that could penalize travelers who file false claims with hefty fines.
For the latest travel news, updates and deals, subscribe to the daily TravelPulse newsletter.
Topics From This Article to Explore
