Mass lawsuit against TUI over holiday illnesses in Cape Verde: nearly 1,700 British tourists seek answers, health authorities warn of an ongoing risk
British tour operator TUI is facing one of the largest group legal actions in the recent history of package holidays, after more than 1,700 British tourists reported serious illnesses linked to stays in hotels in Cape Verde. According to the law firm Irwin Mitchell, which represents a large proportion of the claimants, these are cases recorded from 2022 to 2025, including cases of long-term health consequences and fatalities. TUI says it cannot comment on individual cases, but stresses that the health and safety of travellers are its highest priority and that it works with hotel partners and the relevant authorities. In the background of the legal dispute there is now also a broader public health problem: in recent months, British and European health institutions have warned of an increased number of shigella and salmonella infections among travellers returning from this Atlantic island state.
What is actually being alleged in the lawsuits
The central claim of the plaintiffs is that numerous guests became ill during their holidays or immediately after returning with serious gastrointestinal infections, including shigella, salmonella, E. coli bacteria and some parasitic infections. Lawyers state that some travellers ended up in hospital abroad or after returning to the United Kingdom, and that for some families the consequences were fatal. According to data published on 07 April 2026 by the British
The Independent, lawyers claim that at least eight tourists died after holidays in Cape Verde. It is important to stress that these are allegations from legal proceedings and a figure presented by the lawyers of the injured parties, not a finally established judicial fact.
On its official website, the law firm Irwin Mitchell states that it is investigating more than 1,700 cases of illness and death linked to infections contracted in Cape Verde, many of which are connected with hotels and resorts operated by or sold by TUI as part of package holidays. The same statements claim that proceedings have already been filed in the High Court on behalf of hundreds of affected travellers and that the reported illnesses are linked to allegedly poor hygiene standards, food safety and the maintenance of hotel and pool facilities. In other words, the legal dispute is not limited to one trip or one hotel, but has spread across several properties and several seasons.
From individual tragedies to a systemic issue
A large share of public attention has been focused on individual deaths reported by British media in recent months. Among them is the case of Karen Pooley, who, according to
The Independent, was said by the legal team to have died after a severe deterioration in her health while staying at the Riu Funana resort on the island of Sal. The media have also reported on other British nationals who died after developing severe stomach and intestinal symptoms during or immediately after their holidays. Such cases have further increased pressure on tourism companies, but have also raised questions about the quality of local healthcare, the speed of on-site response and the timely informing of travellers.
However, behind the most striking individual stories lies a broader pattern now also confirmed by health institutions. The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, ECDC, published an epidemiological update on 18 March 2026 according to which, by March 2026, more than 1,000 confirmed and possible cases of shigellosis and other gastrointestinal infections had been recorded among travellers who returned from Cape Verde to European Union, European Economic Area, United Kingdom and United States countries. ECDC explicitly states that the source of infection has not yet been identified, but that the available information points to transmission through food and or water. This is an important detail because it shows that the dispute is not being conducted only around individual guest testimonies, but that there are also official international warnings about a broader pattern of infections.
Warnings from British and European health authorities
The UK Health Security Agency, UKHSA, announced on 05 February 2026 that of the 158 confirmed cases of shigella reported since 01 October 2025 within the investigated outbreak, 118 involved travel abroad, and of those, 112 people, or 95 per cent, had travelled specifically to Cape Verde. Most of those cases related to the areas of Santa Maria and Boa Vista. UKHSA also stated that it had identified an increase in salmonella cases linked to travel to the same destination, with a total of 43 cases from three separate clusters since 01 October 2025.
The British Foreign Office, through its official travel advice page, as of 08 April 2026 still maintains a warning that UKHSA is investigating an increase in reports of Shigella sonnei and salmonella infections among travellers returning from Cape Verde. The advice particularly highlights that people with pre-existing health conditions should speak to a health professional before travelling. Such a warning does not mean a travel ban, but it clearly shows that the authorities consider the risk serious enough to highlight it in official guidance for travellers.
ECDC goes a step further. In its assessment, it states that the likelihood of new infections among travellers visiting the Santa Maria area remains moderate and that additional cases can be expected until the source of infection is identified and effective control measures are implemented. The agency also points out that laboratory analyses of samples from travellers returning from Cape Verde most frequently identified shigella and salmonella, which may indicate a persistent source of exposure or ongoing transmission. Translated plainly, the problem is not described as a one-off incident, but as a longer-lasting health pattern continuing through several seasons.
Why the case matters beyond the courtroom
This dispute has far broader consequences than a possible compensation claim against a single tourism company. In recent years, Cape Verde has recorded tourism growth and relies heavily on the arrival of foreign guests, especially from Europe. According to data from the country’s Institute of Statistics, INE, in the first quarter of 2025, 325,135 guests were recorded in hotel establishments, an increase of 7.2 per cent compared with the same period in 2024. In the third quarter of 2025, 268,904 guests were recorded, or 8.8 per cent more than a year earlier. These figures show how important tourism is for the country’s economy and why health incidents of this kind can have an effect that goes far beyond individual hotels and tour operators.
At the same time, the attractiveness of the destination itself remains unquestioned: the British market remains one of the key markets for winter sun holidays in Cape Verde. That is precisely why this case is becoming a test of confidence in the package holiday model and in the relationship between tour operators, hotel chains and local authorities. Travellers paying for all-inclusive packages expect basic health and hygiene standards to be guaranteed, not left to improvisation or later disputes over responsibility. If it turns out that warnings were delayed, communication unclear or measures inadequate, the consequences could be long-lasting both for the reputation of the destination and for the entire organised travel industry.
Which hotels and areas are in focus
According to data published by Irwin Mitchell, the properties linked to the cases before the High Court include RIU chain resorts, including Riu Palace Santa Maria, Riu Funana, Riu Cabo Verde, Riu Palace Boavista and Riu Touareg, as well as other properties such as Melia Dunas, the former Sol Dunas, now TUI Suneo Dunas, and TUI Blue Cabo Verde. In its update, ECDC does not list individual commercial hotel names in the central part of its assessment, but points out that most of the sick travellers stayed in the same hotel chain in the Santa Maria region on the island of Sal. That overlap between legal claims and epidemiological findings does not automatically prove legal liability, but it shows why that part of the destination has become the main focus of investigations and media interest.
It is particularly important that ECDC stresses that the source of the infection still cannot be conclusively determined. This means it has not been officially confirmed whether it is one food supply chain, water, food handling methods, sanitary conditions, a combination of several factors or, alternatively, person-to-person transmission within the hotel environment. For the legal proceedings this is crucial, because the issue of causation will be central: should responsibility be sought from the hotels, the tour operator, suppliers, local infrastructure or a combination of all those factors. For travellers, meanwhile, the most important point is that official bodies are still speaking of an undiscovered source, which means that room for uncertainty still exists.
TUI’s response and the position of the RIU hotel chain
In a statement reported by
The Independent, TUI said it was deeply saddened by reports of tragic losses and that it expresses its sincere condolences to the affected families. At the same time, it said it could not comment on individual cases, but that the health and safety of customers are always the highest priority, that procedures exist to assist guests who fall ill during their holidays and that the company follows the recommendations of the British Foreign Office and cooperates with hotel partners and relevant authorities when necessary.
According to today’s summary by
The Times, RIU also claims that its operations meet international health standards. This is an important line of defence because it shows that the dispute will be fought not only over compelling traveller testimonies and health warnings, but also over documentation, inspections, internal procedures, microbiological findings and the question of who knew what and when. In other words, in the next phase of the proceedings it will be difficult for it to be enough merely to show that people became ill; it will also be necessary to prove the cause, the failure and the level of responsibility.
What this case says about travel to popular resort destinations
The Cape Verde case shows how quickly a tourism story about safe winter sun can turn into a combination of health and reputational crisis. In the model of mass tourism, one serious problem with food, water or sanitation rarely remains localised to just one group of guests. When this is followed by international flights, the return of travellers to several countries and the appearance of secondary infections, the problem almost automatically grows beyond local boundaries and enters the international public health system. According to official warnings, that is exactly what is happening now.
For travellers themselves, the message is twofold. On the one hand, there is no general ban on travel to Cape Verde, and the destination continues to receive a large number of guests. On the other hand, the fact that British and European health authorities still warn of a moderate risk of new infections in the Santa Maria area means that caution is not a formality, but a real recommendation. For tourism companies, this is a reminder that reputation no longer depends only on accommodation standards, but also on the ability to respond transparently when a health problem arises, to inform guests in a timely manner and to clearly show what measures have been taken. Otherwise, court proceedings, warnings from health institutions and media pressure can merge into a prolonged crisis of confidence for which it will not be easy to find a quick way out.
Sources:- GOV.UK / FCDO – official travel advice for Cape Verde, with an update from 06 February 2026 on the risk of shigella and salmonella infections (link)- GOV.UK / UKHSA – official announcement from 05 February 2026 with data on 158 confirmed shigella cases and 43 salmonella cases linked to travel to Cape Verde (link)- ECDC – epidemiological update from 18 March 2026 on more than 1,000 confirmed and possible cases of gastrointestinal infections in travellers returning from Cape Verde (link)- The Independent – report from 07 April 2026 on more than 1,700 tourists who joined legal action against TUI and on the lawyers’ claim that at least eight deaths were recorded (link)- Irwin Mitchell – official page of the law firm stating that it is investigating more than 1,700 cases of illness and death linked to infections in Cape Verde and that proceedings have been launched before the High Court (link)- INE Cabo Verde – official statistics on tourist traffic in the first quarter of 2025, including the figure of 325,135 guests (link)- INE Cabo Verde – official statistics on tourist traffic in the third quarter of 2025, including the figure of 268,904 guests and growth of 8.8 per cent (link)- The Times – summary of today’s report on legal action against TUI, including the statement that RIU claims it operates in line with international health standards (link)
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