Magaluf apartments face boycott by UK holiday companies after third tourist dies from balcony fall
The Safer Tourism Foundation has called on the owners of Eden Roc Apartments in Magaluf, Mallorca, to make immediate safety improvements after a third person fell to their death in the complex in the early hours of 12 July.
Thomas Channon, 18, was on holiday celebrating having just completed his A-levels in Cardiff. It’s believed he wandered into the apartment block at around 4am before falling 20 metres; his body was later discovered by a gardener.
The charity has called for owners of the apartments to make immediate safety improvements or face a boycott by British holiday companies.
Kathy Atkinson, CEO of the Safer Tourism Foundation, a charity which aims to reduce the number of preventable deaths, injuries and illnesses occurring to people travelling abroad, told The Independent that she thought the apartments were being marketed through AirBnB and Home Away. She acknowledged that two of the three young people who have died this year weren’t actually staying at the complex itself, but in an adjacent hotel: “Media reports say they had wandered in, perhaps confused to where they were, and found themselves on the high level walkway.
“I understand from a contact who is currently in Magaluf due to this accident that the block is part of a larger complex which can be hard to navigate, even in daylight.
“I have read this morning that the local authority is trying to get the owners/managers to make improvements urgently, which is great. But I still wouldn’t want my teenage son or daughter staying there at all. And if they went to the adjacent hotel I would warn them to stay well away from the Eden Roc.”
In a statement published today, the Safer Tourism Foundation said that “no organisation with a conscience can rent out this dangerous accommodation until it improves safety.
“We urge the owners of this property to respond immediately and effectively to these fatalities, structurally where necessary – on the hazardous high-level walkway – through its booking policies – by utilising lower level accommodation where possible – and in its communication with those staying at and visiting the block. Signage in areas of risk needs to be impossible to miss, even in the dark.
"But this issue goes beyond one specific accommodation and one resort. All operators need to double check that their safety audit processes include all structures which pose significant risks, but which may fall outside the usual definition of 'balconies'."
The statement added: “These tragedies are not unique to the Eden Roc. All travel companies and booking platforms selling accommodation in high rise buildings in Magaluf and in other destinations popular with young travellers should remind customers, especially groups of young adults, of the potential dangers of falling from height, especially for those under the influence of alcohol. Although it may be difficult in high season, it also makes sense to accommodate groups of young adults on the lowest floors where possible, as a precautionary measure.
"It is worth compromising the view to save a life.”
A spokesperson for HomeAway said they had taken down the Eden Roc listing in light of the safety issues.
They told The Independent: “The safety and security of our holidaymakers and partners is our key priority. To advertise a property on any of the websites within the HomeAway network, we require that all owners and managers agree to comply with local safety codes and regulations.
“In case we are made aware of any potential safety risk for our customers, we have processes in place to react promptly and if necessary, take a listing down until we receive the confirmation that all necessary safety measures are in place. We can confirm that the listing in question has been removed from our site for any future bookings and we are already liaising with the owner.”
A spokesperson for AirBnB told The Independent that they could not find any listings for the Eden Roc complex on their site.
