Foreign Office warns young holidaymakers to ‘stick with your mates’
16 to 30-year-olds make up majority of victims of crime abroad
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Your support makes all the difference.The Foreign Office (FCO) is launching a new campaign encouraging young British travellers to “stick with your mates” while on holiday.
The advice follows research from the FCO that found 16 to 30-year-olds made up the majority of victims of crime and the largest proportion of arrests and detentions abroad in 2018.
Although most young holidaymakers now say they are more interested in relaxing with friends and experiencing different cultures than partying while abroad, intentions do not always match up to reality.
Surveying more than 3,000 16 to 24-year-olds from all across the UK, the FCO found that 72 per cent would walk home alone, 71 per cent admit to drinking to excess and 43 per cent would leave friends to go off with someone they don’t know.
Respondents named personal safety, getting split up from friends and the safety of their belongings as their biggest worries when travelling (41 per cent, 21 per cent and 21 per cent respectively).
“Moving from holidaying with family members to going abroad with friends, girlfriends or boyfriends, is a big change, especially if it’s for the first time,” says Julia Longbottom, director of Consular Services at the FCO. “It’s a watershed moment that can leave some young people vulnerable to accidents or crime.
“It’s also a good time to start practising holiday habits that will set them up for a lifetime of trouble-free trips.
“Simple actions like sticking with friends during a trip, looking out for each other and checking Travel Advice ahead of going abroad can make all the difference when it comes to avoiding trouble.”
FCO checklist for young travellers
Stick together: keep an eye out to make sure no one in your group gets separated from people they know and ends up alone as this can put them at risk.
Use tech: set up a WhatsApp or messenger group so you can easily keep track of where everyone is and let your friends know you’re OK.
Check in: “checking in” to your accommodation within a private group chat with your fellow holiday friends, for example on WhatsApp or a Facebook group, can help you find where you’re staying if you get lost or separated from your group.
Agree a meeting point: agree where you’ll gather if you get split up and head straight there if you can’t find your friends.
Look after each other’s drinks: keep track of how much you’re drinking and avoid drink spiking by not leaving drinks unattended.
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