Every year Safer Tourism collects safety incident data from UK tour operators. Our dataset represents around 10.6 million outbound journeys and we see several hundred food allergy reactions each year, a handful of which are fatal. Almost none of those deaths occurs because of cross-contamination in a hotel or restaurant kitchen. Most often something has gone wrong in the communication chain, and this has led to the sudden, preventable death of a customer who thought they had taken every precaution. 

Perhaps there’s been a swap in ingredients made by the hotel or restaurant, but this hasn’t been communicated through to the front of house; maybe the manager is fully aware of a customer’s allergy, but the waiting staff haven’t been informed. Or the seriousness of an allergy simply gets lost in translation from one language to another.  

Plugging those communications gaps is the key to keeping people with life-threatening allergies safe when they travel. If you are a traveller with a severe food allergy, you need to know that your needs are understood by your agent, your airline, your hotel and any food provider. Translation cards are helpful and widely available, but the communication chain, from the point of booking to leaving a destination, is the critical element that could save your life. 

Travellers with food allergies are experts at their own risk management. They are used to asking restaurant staff about ingredients, bringing their own food, scrutinising labels. 

But with allergies on the rise, particularly to milk-based products, there is an increased risk for some travellers, particularly teenagers and young adults. They may be travelling alone for the first time; they may not want to be seen as “different”; they may find it harder to be assertive (and in a foreign language) when asking about food choices.   

Agents play a key role in ensuring travellers with allergies know what to expect and travel providers are informed about their customer’s specific needs. From fam trips and product knowledge to making travel arrangements and coordinating with travel suppliers on the ground, agents can ask important questions, make sure processes are clearly communicated, and ensure that the right staff and suppliers across the travel journey are informed when someone with severe allergies is travelling.  

People of all ages with life-threatening allergies often choose to travel with airlines that allow them to pre-board so they can clean the area immediately around their seat. Agents can advise customers on airline policies to enable those travelling with severe allergies to make an informed choice.  

One in three travellers with allergies say they go back to the same travel provider time and time again because of the confidence they have in the provider’s ability to handle their requirements, making them very loyal customers. A little goes a long way, and everyone wins.