The move is part of a wider push, which also includes the possible introduction of a system to enable customers to report their holiday sicknesses in-resort.

It comes after TTG revealed last October the UK government had recognised the “dramatic increase” in holiday illness claims against travel agents and operators as a “real issue”, following meetings with Abta.

The Spanish hotel association, Hosbec, which includes Benidorm, the Costa Blanca and Valencia regions, also issued a statement in October in which it vowed to “take
 a stand against any suspected fraudulent claims, of which they feel are the majority”.

Speaking to TTG, Abta chief executive Mark Tanzer revealed Abta had now met with Spanish authorities, and was lobbying the UK’s Ministry of Justice to introduce new measures to curb the number of claims.

“The Spanish embassy has been involved [in conversations with us] and the Spanish tourist office and hotel association and parties in the Balearics,” he said. “We’re also speaking with the secretary of state for tourism.

“We are working on a system so that if people are ill they can report it then and there, and the Spanish government is cracking down on those companies handing out leaflets and marketing themselves in destination,” he added.

“It’s been a very expensive episode. Spanish hoteliers have even implied they may stop taking British guests.”
Tanzer said “one of the reasons why it was so painful for the industry”, was due to the “structure of the Ministry of Justice scheme in the UK”.

He said Abta was petitioning the government to amend this to make it less attractive for claims lawyers to pursue such cases.

“There’s a limit on the amount of costs that can be claimed – up to £25,000 – but this doesn’t include claims from overseas. So we are lobbying the Ministry of Justice to include these as it would make it less lucrative for lawyers [to chase these sorts of claims].”