Research local customs before travelling!

According to research conducted by the UK’s Foreign and Common wealth Office (FCO), Briton’s travelling abroad are risking arrest, prosecution or even a prison sentence by not researching local laws and customs before travelling.
The study found that one in seven men admitted to having sex in a public place while on holiday, while half of all women who sunbathe topless do so without checking if its against the law.
One in twenty men also confessed to mooning or streaking on holiday, risking arrest and a fine.

The FCO also alerted gay travellers that homosexuality is illegal in many popular travel destinations such as Morocco and Goa.
Jess Prasad, the FCO’s know Before You Go campaign manager said “Different countries have different laws and customs, and what is acceptable in Spain may not be acceptable in Greece or Turkey. With more people travelling outside the euro zone this year it is ever more important that people familiarise themselves with local laws and custom’s before they go.

“Meanwhile Richard Fielder from the British Embassy in Egypt said “It is important to recognise that even within the same country different area often have different rules”.
One recent example of how ignorance of the law can get holidaymakers into trouble in the case of the British publishing assistant and her partner who were arrested for having sex on the beach in Dubai and braking the no-unmarried-sex law, public indecency and public drunkenness- they decided to enter a shotgun marriage in a bid to reduce their possible six-year sentence to just three months. The Foreign Office confirmed that at the time that it was providing consular assistance, but it could not prevent a jail term, fine and deportation of both individuals following the jail term.

In July 2008 alone , Dubai police arrested 79 people, the majority of whom were tourists, for topless sunbathing, nudity, and other acts that were deemed indecent by the authorities.

Don't forget to buy travel insurance.
Whatever sort of holiday or trip you are planning, don't forget to buy travel insurance. Holidaysafe.co.uk can offer two weeks European cover for an individual aged between 36 and 55 years old from just £9.05. For people requiring gap year travel insurance or backpackers travel insurance cover starts from a very reasonable 17pence a day. To get a quote or to buy travel insurance, please click here.

Source: ITIJ issue 103 August 2009
Prices correct as at 31/07/2009 but subject to change.

Backpackers held in Brazil

Two British law graduates have been arrested whilst on a backpacking holiday in Brazil after allegedly making a fraudulent claim that they had been robbed. Shanti Simone Andrews and Rebecca Claire Turner both 23, told police on Sunday that items worth £1,000 had been taken on a bus journey from the tourist resort of Foz do Iguacu to Rio de Janeiro.

Officers suspicious they had waited several days to report the crime marched them back to their backpackers hostel in Rio where the missing items were allegedly found in suitcases in lockers under their beds.

Last night the pair, who graduated from the University of Sussex on 2007, were facing their third night in a women’s jail on the out skirts of Rio and up to five years in prison if convicted of fraud. A source close to the women said ‘a conviction could ruin their chances of becoming lawyers. They are terrified, to put things mildly.

The women were due to return from their backpacker holiday to Britain on Monday-but had to cancel their flight following their arrest on Sunday. The Foreign office is providing consular assistance.

Sergio Ricardo da Rocha Pita, a lawyer is acting for the pair, told a Brazilian newspaper they had been robbed but were mistaken over some of the items claimed to have been stolen.

Miss Andrews and Miss Turner are currently sharing a cell in police custody pending being officially charged.

More information can be found at the Daily Mail website, by clicking here.

We at Holidaysafe.co.uk hope that this is indeed a misunderstanding and not an attempt at making a fraudulant claim against their travel insurer when they returned to the UK.

Holidaysafe.co.uk offer a range of backpackers travel insurance and gap year travel insurance from as little as 17pence a day. For a quote or to buy travel insurance, please click here.

Source: Daily Mail July 29th 2009

National Pandemic Flu Service

The Association of British Insurers (ABI) have recently released a statement in regards to the National Pandemic Flu Service. Holidaysafe.co.uk, via our parent company Travel Insurance Facilities Group are members of the ABI and as such are in full support of the details surrounding the press release:

As the National Pandemic Flu Service goes live, the travel insurance industry has confirmed that, in the absence of written documentation from a GP or other medical practitioner, it will accept as medical certification of swine flu diagnosis the unique ID number, together with the label on prescribed anti-flu drugs which will include an individual’s name and date of issue, for purposes of validating a related travel insurance cancellation claim. The confirmation comes following discussions between the ABI and the Department of Health about the new National Pandemic Flu Service hotline and web site.

The ABI confirmed this week that travel insurance policies of ABI members will cover costs arising from swine flu diagnosis, including medical treatment abroad and cancelled holidays and flights, subject to specific terms and conditions.

Nick Starling, the ABI’s Director of General Insurance and Health, said:“Travel insurance is there to help people who are too ill to travel or who become ill on holiday. We understand that the National Pandemic Flu Service will only authorise an anti-flu prescription to people who are genuinely displaying symptoms of swine flu. On that basis, travel insurers will accept an individual’s unique ID number generated by the National Flu Service, together with the label on their anti-flu drugs which states their name and date of issue, as proof of diagnosis to validate a travel insurance cancellation claim.”
Customers who use the National Pandemic Flu Service to obtain anti-flu medication and need to make a travel insurance cancellation claim should ensure that they keep all the original documentation they receive, including the label from their medication, as insurers will need it to validate the claim.

So regardless of the type of policy you have brought from holidaysafe.co.uk, from backpackers travel insurance to annual holiday insurance, rest assured that we have got you covered. If you have yet to buy travel insurance and need a quote, please click here.

Swine Flu and travel insurance

It seems not a day goes by without some mention of Swine Flu or influenza A (H1N1) in the national press. Some media sources seem to be sensationalising the situation with reports of millions of potential deaths. In truth it is clearly not possible to know the accuracy or otherwise of such reports. What we can safely say is that it is a global problem.
Unfortunately for those of us that have booked or are thinking about booking a holiday this year, it is something else to be worried about.If you are looking for advice on your particular destination, the best place to get information is from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) website.

For British Nationals overseas the FCO has provided a dedicated telephone number for those concerned about the swine flu outbreak - 00 44 207 928 1010.

For those concerned about their travel insurance cover, have a look at the policy wording or contact your insurer to discuss your situation. It should be noted that:

• All travel insurers will exclude cancellation cover due to the fear of catching swine flu.
• All travel insurers will also excluded cover if you are travelling to a destination that the FCO has advised against travelling too.
• Some travel insurance policies exclude all claims relating to the swine flu pandemic (If you have a holidaysafe.co.uk travel insurance policy however, rest assured that we do not, please read on for more information).

What cover does holidaysafe.co.uk offer in respect of Swine Flu?

Cancellation

If you do fall ill with swine flu before travel and after booking your travel insurance (or holiday, whichever is earlier) you will be covered by our policy.

Cutting short your trip (curtailment)

If you fall ill abroad and did not have the illness at the time of booking your insurance (or holiday if earlier) you may be covered to cut short your trip. In all cases you should contact the emergency assistance company on 0845 260 3260.

Medical expenses

As long as you are not travelling to a destination that the FCO advise against and you did not have swine flu before booking your travel insurance (or holiday if earlier) or before travelling your policy will provide cover. You should follow the normal claims procedure as outlined in the policy wording.