A recently published study compiled travel illness claims across several different resorts and cities, and Egypt's beach resort town of Hurghada topped the list.
The study - published by travel illness claim experts Sick Holiday and food intolerance company YorkTest - revealed that 380 cases of illnesses have been reported in the Egyptian resort since the start of 2017. Some of the common illnesses reported in Hurghada include Salmonella and E. coli — both of which are food-related. Other complaints include stomach-related issues such as diarrhea and stomach aches. Some people have reported high fever and dehydration. Hurghada is considered to be the worst destination for travelers due to the high number of illnesses reported. Other risky destinations, according to the report, include Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic (211 complaints) and Riviera Maya in Mexico (182 complaints).
Despite the claims, Egypt's charming Hurghada resort town was ranked No. 21 favorite destination on TripAdvisor's Travelers' Choice Awards earlier this year. Spanish footballer Sergio Ramos even chose the resort town for his honeymoon back in July. It seems as though the positive experiences are the exception, whereas the illnesses are the norm.
Hurghada "accounted for 95% of food illness claims in Egypt"
According to The Daily Mail, the Egyptian resort town made up 95 percent of all claims Sick Holiday received from British tourists visiting Egypt since 2017. Still, more than 60,000 traveled to the coastal town in 2018. It's also been reported that the number of British travelers to Hurghada has seen a 39 percent increase in just one year.
The rise in popularity has been explained to be the town's low-cost, which attracts many budget travelers. However, the number of illness-related cases in Hurghada is "very worrying," said Richard Conroy, according to The Daily Mail.
"For two years, we have received a complaint about Hurghada more than once every two days, a huge number for such a small resort," he added.
He explained that in resorts located in warm areas, including Hurghada, lukewarm food (served at 35°C) attracts "dangerous bacteria" and takes place when food is left unrefrigerated for long periods of time before being reheated.
In August 2018, a couple died at Steigenberger Aqua Magic Hotel (a five-star hotel) in the Red Sea resort of Hurghada. According to media reports, the duo was in "perfect health" prior to their vacation. They died within hours apart. Post-mortem examinations showed E. coli bacteria was a factor in both deaths.
At the time, the level of illness among guests drastically increased, which led Thomas Cook - one of the oldest brands in the travel industry - to evacuate more than 300 guests from the hotel — days after the couple's death.
The "worst" destinations in terms of illnesses (2017-2018)
- Hurghada, Egypt (380 cases)
- Punta Cana, Dominican Republic (211)
- Riviera Maya, Mexico (182)
- Antalya, Turkey (108)
- Cancun, Mexico (95)
- Boa Vista, Cap Vert (84)
- Marrakech, Morocco (83)
- Sal, Cape Verde (68)
- Mallorca, Spain (66)
- Benirdorm, Spain (62)