Hotels Struggle with Bill of Rights

The main thing that most of us are thinking about when we go on a holiday is the fact that we don't want to think about anything. This means we trust resorts and hotels to provide for our every necessity and assume that all of the safety concerns have been addressed and that we truly should have nothing to worry about. A number of recent holiday accidents and unfortunate deaths have brought this assumption into question and prompted a civil rights group to fight for the introduction of an International Travelers Bill of Rights. This type of bipartisan legislation from Congress would require all online travel agencies to fully disclose information on safety measure and health services that are available at the resorts or hotels they represent. Overseas vacation destinations would have to disclose potential health or safety risks to possible visitors. This includes disclosing the number of lifeguards available, whether a doctor is on site, or whether nursing staff is available. 

While many consumers would argue that this is a great idea in order to improve their selection of possible vacation destinations, many hotels are struggling with the possible legislation. It seems that this bill has the best interests of the tourists in mind and it would be hard to imagine any group having a problem with outlining safety hazards and potential health risks. However, the president of the Interactive Travel Services Association claims that this type of information can amount to fear mongering and creating confusion or concern where it is not warranted. Implementation of such a bill would be far-reaching and require a lot of work on behalf of the hotels. Future considerations would include changes to health and safety regulations that would require international destinations to meet certain standards. However, it is very hard to regulate institutions that are outside of the country with American legislation even if it affects American tourists. Most resorts and hotels that rely on substantial American tourism dollars are likely to comply with any new form of legislation in order to ensure continued visitor flow.

In the end, most supporters agree that a little confusion is probably worth it if it can help save even one child's life. If you are concerned about the possible health risks or safety hazards at your future vacation destination, it is a good idea to get in touch directly with resorts and hotels to learn first-hand about their procedures and policies.