29 Mar
2023

ABTA launches the 2023 edition of the Tourism Accommodation Health & Safety Technical Guide

Tourism Accommodation: Health & Safety Technical Guide 2023

ABTA – The Travel Association has just published the 2023 edition of its Tourism Accommodation Health & Safety Technical Guide, which provides destination authorities and tourism accommodation providers with a suggested pragmatic approach to their safety management processes.

The guide, also widely known as the ‘ABTA Blue Book’, is an example of the leading role ABTA plays – working with members, destination governments, tourist boards, accommodation, transport and other tourist services overseas – to help improve health and safety standards for the benefit of travellers, tourism accommodation staff and local people.

Now in its fifth edition, the 268-page guide has been comprehensively reviewed and updated by ABTA’s Destinations team and a range of external experts and tour operators. It is the only book of its kind that brings together good health, safety and security practice from around the world.

The content covers a breadth of health and safety topics including health and safety risk management; fire, pool, water and food hygiene safety; security; waterparks; fuel and energy management; transport; legionella; incident management; and natural disasters. The broad nature of the subject matter means there is a wide range of accommodation and tourism staff who can benefit from the insight and information provided.

The guide is not intended to supersede or replace local law or regulations with regards to safety, health, hygiene and security, but can be used by accommodation providers to assist in the development of their own safety and risk management programme, in conjunction with their programme for compliance with local, regional and national safety legislation.

Digital and hard copies of the guide are free for all ABTA members, who are encouraged to share it with their suppliers. ABTA Partners and non-members can purchase hard copies via abta.com/shop

Angela Hills, ABTA’s Head of Destinations, said:

“Good management of health, safety and security is fundamental in delivering fantastic travel experiences and has been an essential part of the Destinations team’s work here at ABTA for many years. I’m therefore delighted that we’re launching the latest edition of the Tourism Accommodation Health & Safety Technical Guide and would like to thank our members and the team of international health, safety and security specialists who contributed to its production. Their expertise has been invaluable.”

Jeff Wilks, Managing Director of the consulting group Tourism Safety, Professor at the Griffith Institute for Tourism at Griffith University in Australia, and regular user of the guide said:

“The 2023 Tourism Accommodation Health & Safety Technical Guide continues ABTA’s exceptional service to travellers and the tourism industry. This new guide, revised and updated, provides the most detailed and comprehensive coverage of tourist health and safety practice areas available worldwide. The guide is the current industry benchmark in health and safety support for tourism operators and destination managers.”

As part of ABTA’s work to encourage improvements in health, safety and security, the ABTA Destinations team has also recently updated the online supplier health, safety and security training videos to remind tourism accommodation providers of the importance of reviewing health, safety and security management processes. Members are encouraged to share the updated resource with their suppliers, which are best used in conjunction with the ABTA technical guide. 

Notes to editors

The following international experts and health and safety consultancy companies contributed to the production of the guide:

  • BeSafe Ltd
  • Biolinea
  • CORGI
  • IGI Ltd
  • International Protect and Prepare (IPP)
  • Intertek/Cristal 
  • Moonlight Consulting
  • Peregrine Risk Management
  • Preverisk
  • Tetra Consulting 
  • The Fun Lab 
  • Wayman Experts

About ABTA 
ABTA is a trade association for UK travel agents, tour operators and the wider travel industry. We’re the largest travel trade body, with over 3,900 travel brands in membership who have a combined pre-pandemic annual UK turnover of £40 billion. We work closely with our members to help raise and maintain standards and build a more sustainable travel industry, and provide travellers with advice, guidance and support.

Our members sign up to a code of conduct and commit to agreed service standards and fair trading. When you need clear travel information, and accurate and impartial advice relating to your trip, we’re here for you. We’ll help you understand your level of financial protection, and what to do next, in the unlikely event that an ABTA member goes out of business. So, whatever happens, when you book with an ABTA member, reliable advice comes as standard. This means that booking with our members brings peace of mind. Together with our members, we help you travel with confidence. www.abta.com