Around 14 million Brits will most likely be searching for holidays this festive season, if 2023’s pattern is repeated.[1] Boxing Day is always a popular one on which to spend the festive cash that Santa delivered, or that Christmas bonus, but what other costs might travellers have to factor into their holiday budget? Pinpoint Travel Health has a few thoughts.
With Brits really not very welcome in Spain any more, due to concerns over tourist numbers and impacts on local housing costs and availability, many UK travellers may be contemplating travelling somewhere new in 2025.
Some may fancy something completely different and a true adventure to a far-flung place, off the beaten track. Others may still want to have the sun and beach, but be tempted to try that combination somewhere more exotic than the Costas. A proportion will want to take the dream holiday that’s always been on their bucket list.
Here, the alarm bells should ring with regard to the words far-flung, exotic and off the beaten track. All of these should signal that travel health planning should accompany any search through the online or offline brochures, as possible destinations may come with health risks that are not an issue in Malaga or Magaluf.
Some of the popular choices, as potential alternatives to a Spanish break, might be Costa Rica, or Goa, or the very popular Maldives. It could be Sharm El Sheikh, Cape Verde or Albania. The fourth most popular place for British families to travel, in summer 2024, was said to be Saudi Arabia.[2]
But what do such choices mean with regard to travel health?
Finding out which travel vaccinations you require
To know that, you have to do a bit of research. If you head to a search engine and type in your chosen destination, you should find health pages that will give you overall insight into what the travel health risks are within your selected destination, or the one you have under consideration.
The web page you have landed on will offer a list of the recommended travel health vaccinations, and/or required certification requirements in that country, along with an indication of whether malaria is a risk.
What those planning far flung or exotic holidays need to note, at this point, is that the information provided is country-wide, available simply because you have entered that country’s name in the search box. It does not tell you precisely where the risk of the mentioned diseases or threats exists within the country in question, whether the risk is seasonal, whether it is only likely arise if you are doing certain things, or whether the vaccinations listed are going to be suitable for you and your health situation. In other words, it’s too generic and not tailored to you, as an individual.
The cost of travel vaccinations
Until recently, that was really all you had to go on. You could note the disease mentioned and, if you are a good planner, ascertain what a vaccination would cost you. At that point, it would become evident that vaccinations for a whole family could add a sizeable amount to your holiday budget. And, if you had planned to bolt off very quickly, it could also tell you that this might not be possible, because vaccinations and antimalarials typically have to be planned in several weeks in advance.
The cost of these vaccinations could be very off-putting, potentially deterring you from making that trip of a lifetime. If they are deemed necessary, however, it would be foolish to travel without that and that action could potentially invalidate your travel insurance policy. What you should be determining, before making any knee-jerk decisions about your intended trip, is whether or not a vaccination is required, according to your individual plans.
The new way to plan travel vaccinations
To do this has become very simple, thanks to the Pinpoint Travel Health Brief service. Using this service, you can detail to exactly where within a country you will travel and when you will be in the destination. You can also upload information relating to your plans whilst there and explain whether this will include any activities, or working or volunteering stints.
You can also tell the astute Pinpoint Travel Health software how old you are, what medications you are taking and what health conditions you may have.
All of this information will then be analysed, to tell you whether or not you require any vaccinations or antimalarials. You will also be advised whether your own health situation and age makes any sort of vaccination or antimalarial inadvisable. Details of travel clinics where you could obtain any required treatments will also be provided.
Why precise travel vaccination and antimalarial planning matters
Armed with this report, you can then determine which vaccinations you actually need, according to the precise details you fed into the system. That could well save you money, by ensuring you don’t have vaccinations that really aren’t required for your trip, because your hotel or place that you will visit is not located in a ‘disease zone’. Or, it could be that you intend to visit in a month in which the disease is not a risk, because it is a purely seasonal risk. Or maybe the risk is only really one that affects those volunteering or working in poorer communities, or on rural farms?
So, the takeout from this is, when it comes to planning a ‘different’ kind of holiday this Boxing Day, it’s all about boxing clever and using tools at your disposal. Getting a clear picture of your travel health needs is an essential part of travel planning and Pinpoint Travel Health makes that easy.
Maybe that dream holiday isn’t out of reach. If you’ve got your destination in mind, why not start the process today and get some clarity over what your additional travel health costs might be?
Image credit: Photo by Link Hoang on Unsplash
[1] https://www.aviva.com/newsroom/news-releases/2023/12/13-9-million-Brits-set-to-search-for-or-book-a-holiday-during-festive-season/
[2] https://www.forestryjournal.co.uk/news/24467744.booking-com-reveals-top-10-2024-holiday-spots-brits/