Travel Companies Warned Skin Cancer Could Come Back To Burn Them

JUL

Travel Companies Warned Skin Cancer Could Come Back To Burn Them

When most people travel they tend to worry about terrorism and crime these days. However, according to a new study by a husband and wife team in the UK, travellers are far more likely to fall victim to health problems. Skin cancer has become a hot topic in the industry as the rates of skin cancer skyrocket, concerns over tobacco-style lawsuits against tour operators are growing.

Professor Ken Peattie, of the Centre for Business Relationships, Accountability, Sustainability and Society (Brass), said that when people went away they forget about the risks. "There seems to be little incentive for travel agents to alert their customers to the potential health and other hazards present at their destination," said Professor Ken Peattie. "When tourism and risk are discussed, terrorism and crime seem to be at the forefront of people's minds. Yet in reality, a tourist is far more likely to fall victim to health problems." According to the researchers, the time lag between sun burn and the first signs of cancer was part of the problem. They claimed the delay has allowed the tourist industry to get away without facing its responsibilities. But they warned people suffering from skin cancer could soon start pushing claims through the courts for a failure of the industry to protect them from the effects of over-exposure to the sun.

In reality, no amount of education or warning seems to deter people from leaving their dark, cold winter homes for sunny, warm destinations. Travellers today are armed with more information than ever regarding the risks of sunburns, and travel operators will likely be making more of an effort in the coming years to choose marketing messages and imagery that reflect the times. However, the travel industry can not be blamed for the deep-routed misconceptions of youths today when it comes to sun exposure.

Last month, the American Academy of Dermatology released a survey indicating 79 per cent of youths between 12 and 17 know suntanning can be dangerous. And 81 per cent recognize that sunburns during childhood up the risk of skin cancer. Yet 60 per cent said they burned last summer. It gets worse: while more than a third of those surveyed said they knew someone who had skin cancer, almost half said people with tans look healthier.

Cancer be damned, kids wanna tan [Macleans]

TAGS: health industry

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Travel Companies Warned Skin Cancer Could Come Back To Burn Them

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