TUI Holiday Illness Claim: Child Hospitalised With Salmonella And Amoebiasis In Turkey

Holiday Lawyers • March 16, 2026

Holiday illness specialists Holiday Lawyers have been instructed by the family of a young child who became seriously ill during a package holiday to Turkey, raising questions about the adequacy of an early settlement offer made by the tour operator.


The case highlights a recurring issue seen in travel litigation: tour operators making early ex‑gratia offers which may significantly undervalue the true legal value of a claim.


Child hospitalised during Turkey package holiday


The family approached Holiday Lawyers after their five‑year‑old daughter became seriously unwell during a holiday in Turkey in August 2025.


According to the information provided, the child was diagnosed with Amoebiasis and Salmonella infection. The illness was sufficiently severe that she required approximately one week of hospital treatment during the holiday.


The experience understandably caused significant distress to both the child and her parents, and the family sought to resolve the matter with the tour operator directly after returning to the UK.


Ex‑gratia payment of £1,500 offered


After raising the issue with the tour operator, the family reports that TUI offered a payment of £1,500 on an ex‑gratia basis.

An ex‑gratia payment is typically offered without any admission of liability and is often presented as a gesture of goodwill.

However, early settlement offers in holiday illness cases frequently do not reflect the potential legal value of a claim,

particularly where a child has been hospitalised, the illness is confirmed by medical diagnosis, the family’s holiday was substantially disrupted, or there is evidence suggesting possible hygiene failures at the resort.


Early offers often undervalue holiday illness claims


Holiday Lawyers has acted in a large number of holiday illness cases involving resorts across Turkey, Spain, Greece and other popular destinations.


In our experience, where a claim is properly investigated and pursued through the legal process, damages recovered can be substantially higher than early tour operator offers. In many cases clients have recovered multiples of the original offer once the claim has been fully investigated.


This is because a formal claim can include compensation for pain and suffering caused by the illness, loss of enjoyment of the holiday, medical treatment and expenses, additional accommodation or travel costs, and ongoing symptoms or recovery periods.


The legal framework for holiday illness claims


Claims arising from illness on a package holiday are typically brought under the Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements Regulations 2018. These regulations place responsibility on tour operators for failures in the services included within the package holiday.


This can include hotel accommodation, food and drink provided at the resort, hygiene and sanitation standards, and the general safety of facilities provided to guests.


Where contamination or poor hygiene causes illness, the tour operator may be legally liable for the resulting injuries and losses suffered by holidaymakers.


Investigating food poisoning and illness abroad


Holiday illness claims often require detailed investigation including medical records and laboratory confirmation of infection, microbiology reports, hotel hygiene documentation, and witness evidence from other affected guests.


Such evidence can sometimes reveal systemic food hygiene problems or contamination risks within a resort which would not otherwise be examined unless a formal legal claim is pursued.


Holiday Lawyers — specialists in holiday illness claims


Holiday Lawyers acts for travellers who have suffered illness while staying at hotels and resorts booked as part of package holidays.


The firm has experience handling claims involving Salmonella, E. coli, Campylobacter, Amoebiasis and other gastrointestinal infections.


Our team works with medical experts and travel law specialists to ensure that claims are fully investigated and properly valued.


Contact Holiday Lawyers


If you or a member of your family became ill during a package holiday and were offered compensation by the tour operator, it is important to understand whether that offer reflects the true value of the claim.


Holiday Lawyers can advise on your options and investigate whether you may be entitled to significantly higher compensation.



You can contact our team through the enquiry page on our website to discuss your case.

By Holiday Lawyers • September 30, 2026
HolidayLawyers has been instructed by a family who say they were forced to flee for their lives after a wildfire reached their resort on the Croatian island of Brač. The family were staying at the Gava Waterman Milna Resort as part of a Jet2Holidays package between 8 and 15 September 2026. They say wildfires had been visible in the area for several days but guests were repeatedly reassured there was no cause for concern. On the evening of 12 September, however, the situation deteriorated dramatically. The family say power to the hotel was lost shortly after 9.30pm, ash began falling around the resort and large flames became clearly visible nearby. They allege there was no fire alarm, evacuation announcement or organised emergency procedure and that guests were left trying to work out how to escape as staff themselves began leaving the resort. Three members of the family eventually reached a wooden jetty where they say they remained for around an hour before being evacuated by boat. One member of the family says he suffered significant smoke inhalation while helping elderly holidaymakers onto rescue vessels and remained unwell for several days afterwards. The family has now instructed HolidayLawyers to investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident, including the warnings and information provided to guests, the evacuation arrangements and the assistance provided by the tour operator and hotel. Growing concerns over wildfire affected holidays HolidayLawyers has been contacted by a number of holidaymakers whose trips have been seriously disrupted by wildfires affecting resorts overseas. With extreme heat and wildfires increasingly affecting popular holiday destinations, the consequences for tourists can be severe. Where holidaymakers find themselves surrounded by smoke, flames or falling debris, or are forced to evacuate without knowing whether they and their families will escape safely, the psychological consequences can also be significant. HolidayLawyers founder and Solicitor Advocate Aman Dhillon said: “Having previously represented passengers and crew following the Costa Concordia disaster, I have seen how the psychological effects of a close escape from a major incident can continue long after the immediate danger has passed. “Wildfires will not necessarily be the fault of a tour operator. The important questions are often what was known, what guests were told, whether appropriate emergency procedures were followed and whether proper assistance was provided when people were placed in danger.” Was your holiday affected by a wildfire? If you were caught in a wildfire, evacuated from your hotel or resort, suffered injury or smoke inhalation, or believe your holiday company failed to provide appropriate assistance during an emergency, HolidayLawyers can advise you on whether you may have a claim . We have decades of experience handling serious international travel claims and have recovered millions of pounds in compensation for thousands of holidaymakers. If your holiday was ruined by a wildfire, contact HolidayLawyers to discuss what happened.
By Holiday Lawyers • September 29, 2026
HolidayLawyers has been contacted by holidaymakers following a guest falling ill during a stay at the Nour Palace Resort & Thalasso in Mahdia, Tunisia and subsequently being medically diagnosed with salmonella . The guest stayed at the resort from 29 August to 8 September 2026 on an all inclusive package holiday booked through Sunshine.co.uk. Symptoms of gastrointestinal illness began while the guest was still staying at the hotel and continued after their return to the UK on 8 September. Following medical testing, salmonella was confirmed on 16 September 2026 . The illness has also resulted in the guest being unable to return to work, with a consequent loss of earnings. Previous reports of illness at the Nour Palace HolidayLawyers is investigating the circumstances surrounding the illness and has identified previous public reports from guests referring to gastrointestinal symptoms and concerns about food hygiene at the Nour Palace. Some reviews published during 2026 refer to guests suffering vomiting and diarrhoea and raise concerns about food preparation and temperature. Such reports do not establish the cause of an individual guest's illness. They can, however, be relevant when considered alongside medical evidence, the timing of symptoms and any evidence of similar illness affecting other guests. Confirmed salmonella diagnosis A laboratory confirmed diagnosis of salmonella is an important piece of evidence in a holiday illness claim. Our investigation will consider when symptoms began, the incubation period, food and drink consumed during the holiday, whether the guest ate predominantly within the hotel and whether other guests experienced similar symptoms. Where appropriate, evidence can also be sought concerning reported illness at the resort, food hygiene procedures, inspections and relevant health and safety records. Can a package holiday illness claim be made? Where a holiday was sold as a qualifying package, the package organiser may be legally responsible for the proper performance of the holiday services provided. The precise position depends upon the booking arrangements and documentation, which is why we examine documents including the booking confirmation and ATOL certificate at the outset. Where illness has caused additional financial loss, a claim can potentially include losses such as lost earnings , provided they can be supported by appropriate evidence. HolidayLawyers founder Aman Dhillon comments HolidayLawyers founder and Solicitor Advocate Aman Dhillon said: “A confirmed salmonella diagnosis following illness which began during a holiday deserves proper investigation. “We look at the medical evidence, the timing of the illness, what the client ate and drank, whether other guests were affected and the evidence surrounding conditions at the hotel during the relevant period. “The fact that somebody became ill abroad does not by itself establish liability, but where there is a confirmed bacterial infection and symptoms began during the holiday, there can be strong grounds for further investigation.” Salmonella or food poisoning after a holiday in Tunisia? HolidayLawyers specialises in serious holiday illness and accident claims. Our lawyers have decades of experience dealing with international travel litigation and gastrointestinal illness claims involving hotels and resorts overseas. If you stayed at the Nour Palace Resort & Thalasso in Mahdia , or another hotel in Tunisia, and developed salmonella, gastroenteritis or another significant gastric illness, we can assess the circumstances of your case. We act in appropriate cases under a No Win No Fee agreement , with any potential deductions explained clearly before you decide whether to proceed.  Contact HolidayLawyers for a confidential assessment of your holiday illness claim.