Travellers all over the world are showing increased concerns because of the coronavirus outbreak, changing the way they travel, an online survey of 1,170 travellers by Big 7 Travel revealed.
The travel industry is experiencing a drastic freeze as travel bans are implemented, flights are grounded and general demand falls.
72% of people are "more concerned about travelling" now because of the coronavirus outbreak, and nearly half of travellers (42%) who had booked trips over the next 6 to 12 weeks have already cancelled their plans, or are considering cancelling due to concerns of coronavirus, the study finds.
As it is not yet clear how the spread of the virus will progress, a lot of travellers remain wary. Just under 70% of people said that they were waiting to see how the situation would progress before they started cancelling summer plans. Just over 30% said they would holiday in their home country instead of going travelling abroad.
About 70% indicated that they believe that travel bans are effective at preventing the spread of the virus.
Asia is the region most people (91.7%) will actively avoid, followed by Europe and the Middle East. 57% of respondents said they would not book a flight in the next 6 to 12 weeks, and 81% will not book a cruise.
About 40% of respondents said that they were "very to extremely" concerned about the coronavirus in general.
Maïthé Chini
The Brussels Times
