Story Highlight
– 88% of tourists avoid hotels after illness or accidents.
– Poor accommodation spoils holidays for 58% of consumers.
– Food poisoning ranked fourth concern for 43% of travelers.
– Mexico perceived poorly for health standards by tourists.
– Over half misunderstand the hotel star rating system.
Full Story
Hoteliers in the UK have been urged to pay greater attention to health and safety considerations, following a study carried out for Check Safety First.
The research, conducted by Opinion Matters, surveyed over 2,000 holidaymakers and revealed that a significant 88% of respondents would avoid returning to a hotel where they experienced an illness or accident.
Mark Harrington, the CEO of Check Safety First, commented, “UK hotels may be benefiting from the ‘staycation’ phenomenon this year, but will struggle to maintain repeat business when the economy recovers if they don’t take the wellbeing of their guests seriously.”
The study identified inadequate hotel conditions as the main factor that could detract from a holiday experience for many travelers, with 58% of participants citing this as a concern. Bad weather followed closely behind, while food poisoning was noted as a worry by 43% of respondents, placing it fourth on the list of holiday deal-breakers.
The research also aimed to assess perceptions of global resorts. Interestingly, fewer than 2% of holidaymakers believed Mexico had high health and safety standards. Harrington addressed this misconception, stating, “On the contrary, Mexico is consistently one of our top three performing territories when audited for hygiene and safety, alongside Egypt and Spain.”
Furthermore, the survey highlighted that over half of those questioned were unclear about what the hotel star rating system entails when making accommodation bookings. Harrington expressed concern, stating, “It’s worrying that many tourists are still confused about what the star system measures. Hoteliers should bear this in mind so they don’t drive away repeat business because guests don’t get the kind of experience they expected at their chosen hotel.”
Check Safety First continues to provide guidance to UK hotels on best practices relating to health and safety.
This study reinforces what we see in practice: visible and well communicated health and safety measures directly affect guest confidence and repeat bookings. Ensuring robust food safety systems, timely reporting and investigation of incidents, and clear information about cleanliness standards helps prevent illness and shows guests that their wellbeing is taken seriously. Training frontline staff to recognise and respond to hazards, carrying out regular audits and sharing audit results or certification with guests can rebuild trust where perceptions are poor. Simplifying how standards are explained to customers and making the link between star ratings and specific safety and hygiene practices will reduce confusion and help hotels protect reputation and revenue.
Clear communication and visible commitment to safety are essential for rebuilding guest confidence. With 88 percent of travellers saying they would avoid a hotel after an illness or accident, operators cannot rely on sporadic checks or hidden processes. Regular, documented cleaning and food safety procedures paired with staff training and easy to understand information for guests will help prevent incidents and show accountability when problems do occur. Improving transparency about what star ratings actually mean and making audit results accessible will align expectations and reduce suspicion. Consistent actions that prioritise guest wellbeing will protect reputation and encourage repeat business.