Some 60 per cent of us state ‘getting a tan’ as a key reason to go on holiday, but with skin cancer the most common form of the deadly disease in the UK, it pays to stay safe – which is why Virgin Holidays has launched a sensible tanning campaign.
The holiday company has teamed up with sun safety awareness charity, SKCIN, to educate customers on more sensible tanning practices and ex-Olympic swimmer Mark Foster is heading up the campaign as a ‘tanbassador’.
The partnership includes a joint information page on the Virgin Holidays website (www.virginholidays.co.uk/tanaware) with tips on the best tanning techniques to stay safe. There will also be information booklets in Virgin Holidays shops and more information in ticket wallets.
Andrew Shelton of Virgin Holidays said: “Nothing says ‘I’ve had a fantastic holiday’ like a sun tan, and a recent informal poll showed that more than 60 per cent of our customers consider it to be one of the most important things they want when they book with us. But we want them all to be safe in the sun – to be tan aware – and this unique partnership with SKCIN will help us educate and inform them before they go.”
Charlotte Fionda of SKCIN said: “We know that most Brits like to tan when they are on holiday and we have to be realistic about this, we cannot expect them to stay out of the sun completely when holidaying in warmer climes. So the advice we are giving is that want people to enjoy the sun and enjoy their holiday, but to do so as safely as possible without burning their skin. To us, it is really important that holiday goers are educated and understand that if they choose to tan, to do so sensibly and responsibly. Partnering with a brand with the scale and influence of Virgin Holidays makes perfect sense and will mean our messages reach a very wide audience. We’re very excited by the potential that this partnership offers.”
Five ways to stay safe in the sun:
- SLIP on a sun t-shirt to keep shoulders covered as they can easily burn
- SLOP on SPF 30+ broad spectrum, 4 star + UVA sunscreen
- SLAP on a broad brimmed hat that shades the face, neck and ears
- SLIDE on quality wrap-around sunglasses
- SHADE from the sun whenever possible, particularly between 11am and 3pm
