Aggressive lawyers and fake sickness claims are adding hundreds of pounds to the cost of a holiday, experts have claimed.
Tui, one of the largest travel companies in the world, is preparing to fight a multimillion-pound class action brought by hundreds of tourists over allegations that poor hygiene at resorts in Cape Verde resulted in them falling ill.
Industry sources acknowledged the deaths and serious illness among tourists to the Atlantic archipelago but have questioned the vagueness of some claims. They have also contrasted the millions of pounds lawyers stand to make if they win the case with the small amounts that some claimants are forecast to receive.
Irwin Mitchell, the law firm leading the claim, said about 1,500 tourists fell ill between 2022 and early this year after booking Tui holidays in Cape Verde. A six-week trial is scheduled at the High Court for the end of next year.
The initial filing revealed claims totalling between 200,000 and 400,000 for the first 64 litigants in the class action. A sum of 200,000 would amount to an average of slightly more than 3,000 each. However, some claims are for as little as 10.
Legal sources suggest that Irwin Mitchell could pocket more than 10 million in costs alone for representing 1,500 claimants if the action succeeds.
Sonia Macleod, a research specialist in class litigation at Oxford...
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