WASHINGTON, D.C. – As the winter travel season approaches, Representative Edward J. Markey (D-MA), senior member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, is requesting information from popular travel websites about the information they provide to potential customers about risks involved in undertaking international travel, including the safety records of travel destinations booked through the sites.

Rep. Markey said, "International travel shouldn't be a leap of faith. Learning from and engaging with the world through international travel can offer substantial benefits, but customers should be made aware of known risks associated with their travel choices so they  can make a fully informed decision about their travel plans."

Rep. Markey sent letters today to the following companies asking them to lay out the steps they take to fully inform customers, especially those considering travel to developing countries, about known health and safety issues in the destination of their choice: Apple Vacations, Expedia, Orbitz, Priceline, and Travelocity.  

The questions Rep. Markey asked included:

• Does your company always inform your customers of relevant U.S. Department of State Travel Warnings and Alerts? 
• Does your company always provide your customers with information regarding the emergency medical services available at the hotels and resorts advertised on your site? 
• Has your company ever terminated its relationship with a foreign vacation destination as a result of a poor health or safety record at its facilities?
• Does your company collect complaints from customers about poor medical care, unsafe or unsanitary facilities or other health-related problems they experienced at vacation destinations booked through your site?  If yes, is this information made available to individuals who are considering purchasing a vacation trip to a destination about which your company has received health or safety complaints? 

Rep. Markey added, "My office often works with constituents considering travel overseas or looking for information about such travel. It's critical that all Americans embarking on a trip abroad fully understand their options and are properly prepared in order to make the most of their travel experience."

Copies of Rep. Markey's letters are available here:  http://markey.house.gov/index.php?option=com_issues&task=view_issue_docs&issue=14&Itemid=152