A new campaign aimed at helping young people to stay safe launches today with an appeal to young tourists, asking them to #stickwithyourmates when on holiday this summer on Ibiza and Mallorca.
A collection of useful safety tips and advice, with a range of promotional videos and images, has been developed to support the initiative developed by the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO).
Whilst aimed primarily at young Britons, the safety advice can easily be used and followed by the many different nationalities that visit either of these Balearic islands.
According to 2018 data gathered by the FCO in Mallorca, those suffering a serious, or often fatal, fall are more likely to be on their own when the incident occurs.
When it comes to young people getting separated from their friends on holiday, an FCO commissioned research report* shows that, despite well-known dangers, 72% of this group will walk home alone with 43% leaving friends to go off with someone they don't know.
Julia Longbottom, Director of Consular Services at the FCO, says: “Most holidays are incident-free but we do see a number of fatalities and very serious injuries involving young people each year. These can have a devastating impact on those involved, families and friends. Simple actions like sticking with friends during a trip or looking out for each other can make all the difference.”
The FCO has worked with young travellers to develop these top tips for staying safe abroad:
- Stick together – keep an eye out to make sure no one in your group gets separated from people they know and ends up alone as this can put them at risk
- Use tech – set up a WhatsApp or Messenger group so you can easily keep track of where everyone is and let your friends know you're okay
- Check in – "checking in" to your accommodation within a private group chat with your fellow holiday friends, for example via a WhatsApp or Facebook group, can help you find where you're staying if you get lost or separated from your group
- Agree a meeting point – agree where you'll gather if you get split up and head straight there if you can't find your friends
- Look after each other's drinks – keep track of how much you're drinking and avoid drink spiking by not leaving drinks unattended
For more information about how you can enjoy your holiday in Ibiza, whilst keeping safe, check out the campaign for more details.
Stay safe this summer and every on Ibiza by following this expert advice!
WORDS | FCO/Julian Heathcote
*Censuswide research on behalf of the Foreign & Commonwealth Office. Total sample size: 3,010 young adults in the UK, aged between 16 and 24 years. Fieldwork Dates: 24th April to 8th May 2019