Thailand, Mexico And South Africa Are Most Hazardous Holiday Destinations, Says Norwich Union

Thailand, Mexico and South Africa are all top exotic holiday destinations for today's travellers but are the most hazardous locations when it comes to illness, accidents and crime. As thousands of Brits prepare to jet off to sunny climes over

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Thailand, Mexico and South Africa are all top exotic holiday destinations for today’s travellers but are the most hazardous locations when it comes to illness, accidents and crime. As thousands of Brits prepare to jet off to sunny climes over the next few weeks, Norwich Union Travel Insurance has compiled a list of the countries most likely to pose a risk to tourists based on its extensive claims database. Thailand featured heavily as a hotbed for theft, tummy problems, traffic accidents and lost belongings. Sun-seekers in Mexico fell victim to the powerful rays with the highest number of claims for sun over-exposure. The perils of the tropics were highlighted by the Caribbean being the number one hotspot for insect bites and stings. South Africa comes out top for robbery with violence. Even traditional British favourites, Spain and the Canaries, don’t escape the odd problem, both posing a risk for robbery and pick pocketing. The study did reveal, however, that most of us enjoy a trouble-free trip. The safest places to holiday were in Western Europe, with Ireland coming ahead of Belgium, Holland, Germany and France.

“The purpose of our research is to not to worry tourists looking forward to their summer holidays, just to make them aware of what can go wrong when they’re away from home,” says Dawn McMullan, travel product manager at Norwich Union. “The majority of holidays go off without a hitch, but we would advise everyone to take the same precautions abroad as they would here. It’s very easy to forget simple security measures when you’re lying in the sun with a cocktail in your hand. Our research shows that you need to take a little extra care in certain countries, and of course make sure you are adequately covered by travel insurance.”

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