Brits on holiday in Turkey should be cautious when booking excursions

A spate of accidents amongst Brits on holiday in Turkey has led to a number of horrific deaths. Most of the incidents occurred whilst holidaymakers were booked on excursions. Travellers are advised to book excursions with reputable companies, and if the tour operator is registered in Britain then it is easier to claim compensation if an accident occurs.

Turkish courts are notoriously slow, and claiming compensation can be a lengthy process. Widow Linda Hudson is currently seeking compensation for the death of her husband, who plummeted to earth when his parasailing harness snapped when he was on holiday in Turkey in July. His daughter, who was flying tandem with him at the time, could only watch in horror as her father fell to his death.

Mrs Hudson is awaiting compensation through the Turkish courts. She is also campaigning for stricter safety checks to be carried out to prevent further accidents occurring. In August, Ken Wright had a near death experience on the same beach when his parasailing harness began to fray. Thankfully he escaped the ordeal unscathed.

Turkish roads can be dangerous and a number of tourists have been involved in road traffic accidents whilst on holiday in Turkey. Perry Roe and his family booked a jeep excursion with a local tour company in 2006, but Mr Roe died after their erratic driver swerved off the road. The rest of his family were injured and taken to hospital. Two other tourists were involved in fatal jeep accidents earlier this year.

Mrs Roe is still awaiting compensation four years after the accident, but at the time, all medical costs were covered on her travel insurance.

The Foreign Office is advising British nationals to make sure they take out comprehensive travel insurance to cover the medical costs of unforeseen accidents. Cover for certain activities will need to be added as an extension to standard travel insurance policies. Also, if Brits on holiday in Turkey experience any dangerous practices during an excursion, they should report it to the Turkish authorities.

The number of Brits taking a holiday in Turkey has risen considerably. Between April 2009 and March 2010, 2.5 million of us took a holiday in Turkey - 93 died and 140 needed hospital treatment.

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