Safer Tourism Foundation

New brand, new Chair... new chapter! We've got a whole new look, a new website and a new person at the helm of our board of trustees. We're pleased to welcome Paul Carter as Safer Tourism's new chair! In his own words: “I’m incredibly proud to be the new Chair for the Safer Tourism Foundation. As an existing trustee, and previously CEO of a participating Pledge partner company, I’ve long been a champion of the charity’s mission. I’m pleased to be taking on the Chair role at a pivotal time for us as we look to include more travel operators as signatories to the Safer Tourism Pledge and as we further develop our consumer campaigns, informed by the insights from the travel incident data we collect. All of us at the Safer Tourism Foundation extend our heartfelt thanks to Ian for his dedication and stewardship of the charity during his long tenure.” Alongside our new logo and bold new colour palette, we've also developed the Safer Tourism badge, giving Safer Tourism pledge partners the recognition they deserve and helping travellers identify those travel brands that go above and beyond when it comes to safety! Check out our blog to find out more --> https://lnkd.in/e9aQvZDt

This week we met with Safer Tourism Pledge partners at our annual Incident Data Insights event. We shared analysis, themes and trends from the incident data that Safer Tourism collects from our pledge partners - representative of 10.6 million outbound trips, accounting for a significant proportion of UK total outbound leisure travel. This was also an opportunity to bring together safety, risk, health and customer operations leaders from across the travel sector to share knowledge and troubleshoot key risk areas collaboratively. One of the key aspects of the Safer Tourism Pledge is putting traveller safety ahead of competition - a value that we love seeing come to life at these cross-company events. As one of our partners told us; "Talking to others is really valuable to get different perspectives on the same problem." Huge thank you to pledge partners TUI who graciously hosted us at their offices in Luton - allergen details clearly displayed for all catering! 👌 We'll share the high level insights from 2023 incident data in the coming weeks. 👀 Watch this space 👀

If you're planning to travel to any European countries in the near future, the EU's new Entry/Exit System (EES) is likely to affect you. While the official launch date was (quietly) postponed once again last Friday, the soon to be introduced EES will mean all non-EU nationals will be required to digitally register their fingerprints and facial biometrics when they enter the European Union. Regardless of when it happens, it will likely mean longer queues, increased time at security checkpoints and a whole lot of additional travel chaos as travellers get used to the new system. We answer some of your questions and signpost a few useful websites in our latest blog: --> https://lnkd.in/euQHR6Fz #EUtravel #entryexitsystem #EES #travelsafe #safertourism

Thank you to the whole team at Safelincs for your continued support of the #PackSafe appeal and everything you do to help raise awareness about the dangers of CO poisoning. What a wonderful way to honour Hudson Foley and to celebrate his memory 👏 ❤️ #COpoisoning #COawareness #travelsafe #packsafe #carbonmonoxide

September has started - do you feel your brain has re-engaged yet? Many of us experience a phenomenon we've dubbed the 'Holiday Head' when we take time off and travel. It can lead to us taking risks we probably wouldn't if we were at home! Next week, our CEO Kathy Atkinson will be giving a presentation, exploring the Holiday Head in depth - why it happens, how it plays out and what steps travel companies can take to mitigate against the risks. The webinar will be hosted by Safer Tourism pledge partner Latin American Association on the 12th of September and is open to all LATA members. A backpacker at heart, Kathy has been travelling for most of her life - solo, as a couple, and now as a mother of two teenagers. But that doesn't mean she's always made the best decision in every situation. She has experienced first hand that tendency for all of us to think about risk differently when we are on holiday. How and why people behave the way they do has always intrigued Kathy - it's one of the reasons she completed a Masters’ degree in behaviour change, to better understand people’s approach to risk. Join Kathy next week to explore this phenomenon and consider how you can adapt your approach and your systems to manage travellers' 'Holiday Heads'. LATA members can register for the webinar here: --> https://lnkd.in/eNbkXgHJ #lata #travelsafety #riskmanagement #travelrisk #holidayhead

This is how you honour a lifelong supporter... Hudson Foley lost his life to carbon monoxide poisoning in Ecuador while he was travelling across South America. Last week, Chelsea Football Club paid tribute to Hudson, one of the club's most optimistic supporters. They featured the Pack Safe Appeal, launched in Hudson's memory by his family, in their Europa League match day programme on the 22nd of August. It's heartwarming to see Chelsea pay tribute to one of their most upbeat and loyal supporters in this way. A wonderful testament to the important work Hudson's family are doing to help save the lives of young travellers by raising awareness about the risks of carbon monoxide poisoning. Read more about the campaign here: --> https://lnkd.in/eNBx4ZRt #packsafeappeal #£20tosavealife #copoisoning #travelsafety #chelseafootball

CO poisoning still claims lives. As many as 30,000 a year globally. And most of those deaths are preventable. This summer, Safer Tourism Foundation is honoured to be supporting the Foley family in their efforts to raise awareness about the dangers of carbon monoxide poisoning with their #PackSafeAppeal. Hudson Foley passed away while travelling in Ecuador just one year ago - tragically, a £20 portable carbon monoxide alarm could have saved his life. Thank you Charity Today for reporting this important story. #travelnews #travelsafe #cosafety #gassafety

£𝟮𝟬 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝘀𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗮 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲. The Safer Tourism Foundation was born out of a terrible tragedy, after children Bobby and Christi Shepherd died from carbon monoxide poisoning while on holiday in Corfu in 2006. 18 years on, CO poisoning still claims the lives of young people on their travels. Hudson Foley was travelling and volunteering in South America when he passed away from #carbonmonoxide poisoning in 2023, aged just 24. This August, marking the one year anniversary of his death, the Foley family have launched the #PackSafeAppeal in his memory. The campaign has three main aims: 🎒 Urging travellers, especially young backpackers to take carbon monoxide alarm with them on their trips 🔊 Asking travel companies to include carbon monoxide alarms on their recommended kit list ℹ Encouraging travel companies to educate their customers about the dangers of carbon monoxide We are proud to support this campaign, working with Cathy, Paul, Jordan and Natasha to honour Hudson and raise awareness in his memory. Read the full story on Travel Weekly UK - https://lnkd.in/ekjNU49f Please share the message far and wide - https://lnkd.in/e8X3pgvq

Delighted to speak to Sara Sherwood at The Telegraph last week to share a few tips on what to look out for when choosing a holiday with a kids' club. The wonderful Lee Evans, Director of Customer Experience at Safer Tourism Pledge Partner, Neilson Active Holidays also contributed her thoughts on what makes a club fun for the kids themselves. Which is, after all, the main goal! The article also highlights a very important point, inspired by one of Neilson's recent customer reviews, which is that sometimes an incredible kids' club can turn a holiday into something of a life changing experience. James Layland, who holidayed with Neilson in July 2024, certainly thinks so: ***Neilson don’t provide holidays. They give you a life changing experience. My 7 yr old boy is on the ADHD/autistic spectrum, doesn’t mix with other children well, and has high nervous anxiety. I therefore took a gamble booking the Beach Club holiday in the hope he’d gain something; and what a gain it was! The children’s clubs are something spectacular. The young staff are so dedicated with innovative ideas, energy and love for the kids. My little boy didn’t want to see me apart from at meal times! He’s swam for the first time, sailed, windsurfed and played all week. I’ve watched on in tears to see his development in the hands of these angelic professionals (and I’ve been teaching for 18 years!). How can you possibly thank someone for that?? A team (including hotel, bar, sales, activities and catering staff) that truly is outstanding in all areas.*** #staysafe #stayhappy #travelsafety #kidsclubs

We're thrilled to announce that the Latin American Travel Association are now a Safer Tourism affiliate partner! This partnership makes all kinds of sense, given LATA's longstanding emphasis on safety. The association's safety scheme aims to improve safety standards in accommodation and transport across the region, offering members access to specialised safety guidance and support. As part of our collaboration, LATA members will have access to specialist content and expertise, kicking off with a webinar to learn more about the #holidayhead and its impact on traveller behaviour, from Safer Tourism CEO Kathy Atkinson. Delighted to be working more closely with Danny Callaghan Katie Cosstick Megan Parkinson and everyone at LATA, in support of our mission to save lives and prevent serious harm or injury to UK travellers. Thanks to Robin Searle and the team over at Travel Weekly UK for sharing the news: --> https://lnkd.in/eYRHQwMC #travelnews #travelrisk #latinamerica #latam #safertravel #holidayhead