More than 1,100 people are suing travel company TUI after contracting severe illnesses on trips to Cape Verde. Represented by attorneys, 1,107 individuals who booked vacations through TUI suffered from serious gastric illnesses, including E. coli, salmonella, and shigella infections—some of which can be life-threatening—over the past three years.
Hundreds of guests, including children as young as three, required hospitalization after what they anticipated as luxury vacations became “holidays from hell.”
One of the plaintiffs, Sarah Tootell from Greater Manchester, traveled to Cape Verde with her nine-year-old daughter Halle in early May. On their return, Sarah developed fever, severe vomiting, and diarrhea, which tests confirmed was caused by shigella. “This was my first solo trip with Halle, and it took a lot of courage to book, so I’m devastated,” she said. “I was concerned about food safety, with animals and flies around the dishes. I’m fairly healthy, but it’s worrying to think what could happen to someone more vulnerable.”
Diane Taylor, an accounts coordinator from Aberdeen, had similar experiences with hygiene issues, including cockroaches in her room. “I couldn’t eat because of the nausea and stomach cramps. It was a nightmare, far from what I expected from a five-star hotel.”
Josephine Black and her husband, Graham Lamont, also became ill after a week-long trip this year. “We hadn’t tried all-inclusive five-star vacations before, thinking this was the right time. We couldn’t have been more wrong,” they shared. “This was nothing like what we expected from a five-star experience, and we wish we had never gone.”
Irwin Mitchell attorney Jatinder Paul, representing the plaintiffs, noted: “It’s alarming that, despite numerous complaints over three years, illnesses are still being reported in Cape Verde hotels. Our clients are justifiably frustrated, and as more cases emerge, we’re committed to helping them get the answers they need.”