Three out of four Britons still plan to travel, coronavirus notwithstanding: A survey put out just after the last issue of INBOUND was published reported that three out of four UK travelers are still planning on taking their next holiday, despite the coronavirus outbreak. The study was based on a survey conducted by Holiday Extras.
The company monitored calls to its UK call center for a week to see what concerns customers had about travelling during the outbreak. These questions then formed the basis of a survey to airport travelers. Key findings include the following:
—Most people who’ve cancelled their trips have
been forced to do so and it’s the older travelers who are most likely to be
sticking to their plans.
—Three out of four (75 percent) people who flew out of a UK airport in
the last year are taking their next overseas trip as planned.
—For respondents over 40, that rises to more than
four out of every five (83 percent) still planning to travel; and nine out of
ten (91 percent) who are more than 60 years old.
—Of the over-60 crowd, those, 59 percent say they are travelling through
choice. This is due to the fact the virus is also present in the UK or
because they do not think the virus is present at their destination, or because
they are simply not concerned.
—Sixteen per cent are travelling through necessity, either because they
have to take a trip or can’t get a trip they booked refunded
—Only 10 percent of UK travelers said they have decided against all
international travel during the outbreak
—Thirteen per cent said they have cancelled a trip because they’ve been
forced to, for example, because their carrier cancelled their booking, because
a work trip was cancelled, or on medical advice
Seamus McCauley, editor in chief at Holiday Extras, commented
“People, especially those in vulnerable categories, are right to be
cautious about the risks of the virus and to heed the excellent advice of
doctors and other experts.”
But, he added, “Clearly the majority of UK travelers are sticking to their plans to head overseas, and the majority of those who have cancelled their plans have been forced to do so.” Holiday Extras will be conducting follow-up surveys on the subject, said McCauley
(Note: The UK government yesterday issued a statement advising all Britons to avoid non-essential travel overseas for an initial period of one month.)
