One in three travel abroad without checking destination advice
A third of British travellers are not checking the most up-to-date and accurate travel advice before they depart on their overseas trip, according to new research.
Overall, one in three Brits said that they didn’t check any travel advice before they went abroad.
When asked why, 34% said they knew everything they needed to know and 30% said that they didn’t check as they had already been to the destination.
ABTA, which carried out the research, issued a warning to travellers to check for updates on the Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s (FCO) travel advice online pages.
The warning comes as an estimated 25 million British holidaymakers prepare to jet off this summer.
The research shows that the majority of Britons (67%) who have travelled abroad for a holiday did check advice for their destination.
Advice concerning local currency (59%), healthcare (including vaccinations) (56%), entry requirements (54%) and safety and security (52%) were searched for most. More than two in five people (41%) said that they checked advice on local laws and customs.
In terms of where holidaymakers get their advice, one in six people said that they checked travel advice for their destination with the FCO, equal to the number of people who checked a travel guidebook3, while 25% said they checked a travel review website.
One in four (23%) people said that they checked travel advice with the travel company they booked with.
ABTA director of destinations and sustainability Nikki White said: "While it is encouraging to see that the majority of holidaymakers are looking for advice as they prepare for their trip abroad, many aren’t looking in all the right places for the most up to date information.
"Even if you have travelled to that country many times before, we live in a world where things are frequently changing so it’s recommended to check advice as you prepare for your holiday.
"Guidebooks and travel websites can also provide valuable tips about sightseeing and experiences, but may not reflect the most up to date travel advice. The FCO Travel Advice is the best place to get complete and up to date information."
Lisa
Lisa joined Travel Weekly nearly 25 years ago as technology reporter and then sailed around the world for a couple of years as cruise correspondent, before becoming deputy editor. Now freelance, Lisa writes for various print and web publications, edits Corporate Traveller’s client magazine, Gateway, and works on the acclaimed Remembering Wildlife series of photography books, which raise awareness of nature’s most at-risk species and helps to fund their protection.
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