Consumer Group Expresses Sympathy and Support for Holidaymakers at The Grand Hotel, Gardone Riviera, Lake Garda
Todays report from the BBC concerning the death and alleged illnesses at the Grand Hotel in Lake Garda, raises serious concerns from HolidayTravelWatch.
HolidayTravelWatch expresses deep sympathy to the family of Mr Appleyard, and offers support to those affected by holiday illness.
At this stage, it appears that the cause of the illnesses is as yet unconfirmed. The BBC report that Italian Health Officials suspect the cause to be Salmonella.
We urge the Italian Authorities to urgently investigate this serious incident, and make public, without delay, their findings.
HolidayTravelWatch is again concerned with the rise of holiday illness complaints, particularly as the main holiday season is yet to come.
HolidayTravelWatch reports that the main area of complaints of holiday illness, particularly notifiable diseases, currently rest with Egyptian destinations.
Frank Brehany, the Senior Consumer Advocate for HolidayTravelWatch states:
“My deepest sympathies rest with the family of Mr Appleyard for their sad loss. I also offer support to those holidaymakers affected by illness from this hotel. If the reports are correct, it would suggest that there were serious deficits with the health and safety practices in this kitchen”.
He concludes:
“We are receiving a continual flow of holiday sickness reports from a wide variety of destinations, and I regret to say, that despite the high publicity given to holiday horror stories, hoteliers and tour operators continue to operate below acceptable standards, insofar as holidaymakers health is concerned. We can see from holidaymakers stories, that tour operators provide a ’support’, often through their legal departments or solicitors which regretably snuffs out the will of the holidaymaker to receive just compensation for their holiday claims. We urge holidaymakers not to be sucked into such a process – seek independent advices! If ever there was a time to review the Package Travel Regulations, and to import true Consumer Protection on the questions of standards in holiday contracts, that moment has arrived. Unfortunately, I suspect that we shall hear of more holiday horror stories through the summer of 2008!”
Tags: holiday claims, holiday complaints, Holiday Food Poisoning Claims, holiday illness, Holiday Sickness
HTW has noted that amongst the submissions to the Committee on Toxicity (COT) it has been suggested that the symptoms highlighted by crew and passengers were akin to the condition of hyperventilation.
HTW has for many years received reports from concerned holiday makers or independent travellers as to the safety of their aircraft, ship or boat, train or road transport.
