Tourists have been warned to think twice before drinking tap water on their summer holiday.
The experts at Posh.co.uk have revealed 10 countries which don’t have full access to safe drinking water where tourists could catch a nasty case of stomach-related sickness.
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Drinking contaminated water can lead to diseases such as cholera, dysentery and hepatitis A.
Backpackers who are brave enough to take on Mount Everest in Nepal are at the highest risk as only 17% of the population have safe access to water.
Those preferring a beach holiday in Mexico, Costa Rica and Croatia are also at risk of picking up a waterborne disease as they don’t have full access to safe drinking water.
Mexico has 43% access to safe water with Costa Rica at 80% and Croatia only slightly higher at 82%.
This means even simple tasks like brushing teeth and showering could result in a trip to the hospital.
Tourists are instead advised to drink bottled or filtered water when visiting countries to prevent putting themselves at risk of disease.
Meanwhile, popular tourist locations such as Malta, Germany and Greece have a higher rate with over 99% of the respective populations having access to safe water.
Andy Ellis, expert at Posh.co.uk, said: “It’s worrying how many popular holiday destinations don’t have safe drinking water, as it could mean millions of travellers are at risk of catching nasty diseases.
“This could range from a small stomach bug to a serious incident which requires a visit to the hospital.
“If you’re travelling to countries with unsafe access to drinking water, make sure to use bottled or filtered water only and keep your mouth closed whilst showering.
“The same goes for brushing your teeth, only use clean bottled water, otherwise, you could be applying nasty bacteria straight onto your gums.
“Some hotels may give pre-warning that the tap water is not safe to drink from but if you’re backpacking and staying in a hostel, the likelihood you’ll be pre-warned is low.
“We don’t want to put anyone off visiting these countries as there are amazing sites to visit and experiences to enjoy, just make sure to be extra cautious when it comes to water consumption.
“The last thing we want is for someone to be enjoying an amazing holiday, only for it to be cut short due to catching a nasty disease by drinking some tap water.”
10 tourist destinations with low access to safe drinking water:
| Position |
Country |
Access to safe drinking water |
| 1 | Nepal | 17.58% |
| 2 | Cambodia | 27.76% |
| 3 | Mexico | 43.03% |
| 4 | Philippines | 47.46% |
| 5 | Peru | 51.26% |
| 6 | Tunisia | 79.29% |
| 7 | Morocco | 79.95% |
| 8 | Costa Rica | 80.52% |
| 9 | Croatia | 82.14% |
| 10 | Brazil | 85.77% |
10 tourist destinations with high access to safe drinking water:
| Position |
Country |
Access to safe drinking water |
| 1 | Monaco | 100.00% |
| 2 | Malta | 100.00% |
| 3 | Hong Kong | 100.00% |
| 4 | Greece | 100.00% |
| 5 | Gibraltar | 100.00% |
| 6 | Germany | 99.99% |
| 7 | Belgium | 99.91% |
| 8 | Puerto Rico | 99.86% |
| 9 | Cyprus | 99.77% |
| 10 | Sweden | 99.75% |
