More than 800 Britons who claim holidays to Cape Verde made them ill have started legal action against TUI.
Law firm Irwin Mitchell has issued a claim in the High Court for compensation for 836 clients who were struck down with various gastric illnesses during or after staying at four- and five-star hotels in the West African country in 2022.
Serious injury lawyer Jatinder Paul, who is representing the holidaymakers, said the individual potential payouts could range from £1,000 to several hundred thousand for the most serious cases.
“I have highlighted at least one case that would be in the upper hundreds of thousands,” he added.
The law firm is accusing TUI of failing to perform its contractual obligations to its clients by sending them to hotels with ‘substandard’ hygiene.
The legal documents filed at the High Court argue that the tour operator breached its duty for a variety of reasons, for example, it caused or allowed food to be undercooked, served at an incorrect temperature and reused in later meals.
Irwin Mitchell says the various illnesses suffered by its clients included E.coli, Salmonella and Shigella. Some tested positive for the Cryptosporidium parasite.
The firm said many holidaymakers were hospitalised, either abroad or back in the UK. They include children as young as six months old.
“We are looking for compensation to put these clients back in the position they would have been in if they hadn’t fallen ill,” added Jatinder.
“A lot of these guests were children, some had significant complications. The illnesses hugely upended these people’s lives, one might need a kidney transplant in the future.”
TUI has either expressly denied liability, or failed to reply, on all of the 836 cases.
The hotels and the numbers of clients involved are:
- Riu Palace Boavista: 57
- Riu Palace Santa Maria: 300
- Riu Funana:183
- Riu Cabo Verde: 105
- Riu Touareg: 25
- Melia Dunas – 70
- Sol Dunas, now called TUI Suneo Dunas
- TUI Blue Cabo Verde
Irwin Mitchell said it expects to issue further High Court proceedings ‘in the coming weeks’ in connection with illness outbreaks at other hotels in Cape Verde.
In total, it is representing more than 1,400 holidaymakers who travelled to Cape Verde between 2022 and 2025.
Jatinder added: “The number of people to have fallen seriously ill in Cape Verde over the past three years is truly staggering.”
He added: “The effects of gastric illness can be very serious and should never be downplayed. As many of our cases demonstrate, they can result in life-changing complications and in some cases, even death.
“Nearly three years on, many of our clients for whom we’ve issued legal proceedings on behalf of continue to suffer from debilitating symptoms linked to their illness. While it’s too late for those we represent in terms of their holiday being ruined by such illness, we’re determined to provide them with the answers they deserve and where appropriate access to ongoing support and treatment they may require.”
He said TUI has so far refused to negotiate with the claimants, but he remains hopeful of reaching an out-of-court settlement.
In a statement, TUI said: “Our priority is to ensure customers have the best possible holiday experience, which is why we were very sorry to hear that these customers were ill during their holiday to Cape Verde. As this is now a legal matter, we are unable to comment any further at this time.”
