A travel insurer has given his five top tips to consider when going on an all-inclusive holiday.
Grant Winter, a compliance officer, has warned Brits to be vigilant of diseases and illnesses that can be common when eating and drinking at package resorts in popular holiday destinations.
Illnesses including cholera, typhoid, and hepatitis A can all be picked up from eating at contaminated restaurants and bars.
But for anxious travellers scared of being struck down abroad, Mr Winter has shared what to look out for when tucking in at the hotel buffet.
A travel insurer has revealed what you need to avoid eating or drinking when dining at an all-inclusive resort on holiday (File image)
Always drink bottled water
Firstly, Mr Winter recommended that people should drink bottled water as its purity and quality can always be guaranteed.
When buying bottled water, he advised that you should always ensure that the lid of the bottle is tightly sealed before you drink it.
Grant said: ‘If you can’t get access to bottled water for whatever reason, only drink tap water that has been boiled, use chlorine tablets or iodine to sterilise the water.
‘Always be sure to avoid prolonged exposure to iodine though – this method isn’t best when doing it more than once or twice,’ he told The Express.
Get to the buffet early
Moving on to the importance of food safety, the travel insurer said that you should always avoid eating cooked food that has been left out for a lengthy period.
With this in mind, he said you should always aim to get to the all-inclusive buffet earlier rather than later to avoid being left with food that has not been freshly cooked to your order.
He added: ‘It’s also better to avoid food that has flies buzzing around it, and to only eat raw fruit and vegetables that you have peeled yourself to reduce the risk of contamination’.
Never have ice in your drinks
With his previous tip about only drinking bottled water in mind, Grant says you should also be careful about having ice in your drinks.
Elaborating, Grant said: ‘Don’t forget about the risk of ice cubes in your drinks.
‘In many cases, these are probably made from untreated tap water (however, some large resorts do use bottled water, so it is best to check), which can cause you to get sick.’
Check that your food is hot
Grant Winter, a compliance officer at the travel insurance company, warns that food and drink in some countries popular with Brits as holiday destinations (File image)
Giving his penultimate tip, Grant said that, irrespective of where you are eating, you should always check to see if the food is piping hot before you take a bite.
He adds that this is something you should be all the more watchful over when eating out abroad.
Giving an example, he said: ‘Eating tropical fish that haven’t been cooked properly can lead to ciguatera fish poisoning, and unpasteurised dairy such as ice cream from a street vendor, could harbour salmonella, e.coli, listeria, or campylobacter, leading to food poisoning.’
Practice good personal hygiene
Sharing his fifth and final tip, the travel safety expert said that good hygiene is all the more important when abroad.
Grant stated: ‘Whilst it may sound obvious, personal hygiene should be a number one priority abroad to help avoid food poisoning and contamination.
‘Always wash your hands after the toilet and before eating or preparing food, and make sure you take an alcohol-based hand gel to use when you’re out and about before eating any food.’
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