Magazine
Legionella on holiday: Risk in hotels or on cruise ships?
As a guest, you look forward to a relaxing holiday.
As an operator of a holiday resort or a cruise ship, you are responsible for providing clean and wholesome drinking water for your guests.
However, an invisible and often overlooked risk frequently lurks within the drinking water systems of hotels, holiday apartments or cruise ships: Legionella.
Why Legionella is a risk on holiday or in holiday accommodation
Many holiday accommodations – whether on land or at sea – are only used seasonally or irregularly, which leads to the formation of stagnant water – an ideal habitat for Legionella pneumophila and other bacteria in the drinking water. This is particularly relevant in hotels or on cruise ships, which often feature large and complex distribution networks with hundreds of tapping points.
Facts worth knowing about Legionella
Legionella are widespread environmental pathogens or water bacteria that use water as a habitat. They multiply ideally wherever there is stagnant water with a temperature between 25°C and 45°C.
If, for example, water mist (aerosols) containing Legionella is inhaled while showering in a hotel or using a whirlpool, this can lead to serious health problems, including severe pneumonia!
Our detailed magazine article "Legionella in water: prevention and control" provides you with more in-depth information on the subject of Legionella.
Operators must ensure drinking water hygiene
In principle, the operator of a drinking water installation in a hotel, other holiday accommodation or on a cruise ship is always responsible for compliance with drinking water hygiene and must ensure that clean and wholesome drinking water is available to guests.
Depending on the destination, however, you as a guest cannot always safely assume that drinking water hygiene is consistently maintained.
Risk of Legionella by destination: An overview
The risk at different travel destinations varies depending on the standard of the drinking water installation and the local climatic conditions.
| Region / Travel destination | Risk potential | Key features |
|---|---|---|
Southern Europe (e.g. Italy, Greece) | Tends to be high | High outdoor temperatures promote the heating of the pipes. |
Tropical destinations (e.g. Thailand, Caribbean) | High | High outdoor temperatures promote the heating of the pipes. Drinking water hygiene is often in need of improvement. |
Central Europe (e.g. Germany, Austria) | Rather low | Strict laws, but risk particularly due to stagnation in the pipes. |
Cruise ships | Medium to high | Complex piping systems make drinking water hygiene difficult. |
Detailed information on drinking water hygiene on (cruise) ships can be found in our article "Drinking water hygiene on ships: Challenges and international standards".
How you as a guest can effectively protect yourself from germs in drinking water
You can significantly reduce the risk of infection with simple measures:
- Flush the pipes: Upon arrival at the accommodation, let hot water run at all tapping points (shower, washbasin) for several minutes. Leave the room during this process to avoid inhaling aerosols. Afterwards, open the windows for ventilation.
- Check water temperature: If possible, check whether the hot water at the tap actually becomes hot (at least 60°C).
- Use filters – if you want to be on the safe side: The safest method is the use of point-of-use water filters. These physically retain Legionella or other bacteria.
After your holiday: Do not forget hygiene at home
Do not forget that stagnant water has also formed in your own four walls during your absence!
Before you enjoy your first shower at home, you should properly flush all drinking water pipes.
Our conclusion: Legionella as a challenge for guests and operators
For guests, Legionella on holiday is certainly a real risk depending on the travel destination, but it can be effectively prevented through correct behaviour and technical aids such as mobile filters.
For operators, compliance with drinking water hygiene is crucial in order to be able to provide guests with pure drinking water at all times.