As the coronavirus outbreak spreads worldwide, the travel industry is experiencing a drastic freeze as travel bans are implemented, flights are grounded and general demand falls. As of today, there are more than 82,000 cases of the virus worldwide, with more than 2,800 deaths. Airlines and tourism sectors in Asia are suffering, but as the rest of the world prepares for coronavirus, those in the tourism industry must plan for the worst. A coronavirus travel survey by Big 7 Travel reveals that people are changing the way they travel.
Global travellers are showing increased concern with the outbreak. Nearly half of travellers around the world (42%) who have trips booked in the next 6-12 weeks have already cancelled their travel plans or are considering cancelling due to concerns of coronavirus, the study finds.
You can read more key findings of the survey below.
Coronavirus Travel Survey by Big 7 Travel
Key Findings:Â
- 72% of people are more concerned about travelling during the coronavirus outbreak
- 7 in 10 people say they believe travel bans are effective at preventing the spread of the virus
- Asia is the region most people (91.7%) will avoid, followed by Europe and the Middle East
- 4 in 10 people say they are ‘very to extremely’ concerned about the coronavirus in general
72% of people have increased concerns about travelling during the coronavirus outbreak
42% of people have or are considering cancelling international travel plans
- Domestic Travel: When asked if they have cancelled domestic travel plans, 33% of people said ‘not yet but maybe’; 14% said ‘yes’ and 16.5% said that while they don’t have travel plans, if they did they would cancel.
While the future spread of the virus remains unclear, travellers remain wary. Just under 7 in 10 people say they are waiting to see how the situation progresses in regards to cancelling summer plans. 31% of people say they will vacation in their home country instead.
A majority would not book a flight (57%) or cruise (81%) in the next 6-12 weeks
When asked via online survey, Twitter poll and Instagram poll, a large number of people say they would not book a flight in the near future. This is concerning for airlines who are already being hit hard.
Travellers are also less likely to book cruises in the next 6-12 weeks. 1 in 3 people say that the coronavirus outbreak will make them reconsider travelling by air for the ‘foreseeable future’.
Would you book a flight in the next 6 weeks given the current coronavirus situation?
— Big7Travel (@BigSevenTravel) February 26, 2020
Asia is the region most travellers will avoid. A large majority of respondents say they think travel bans are an effective measure
Our study also reveals the extra precautions travellers will take if they have to travel. These include extra hand hygiene, face mask, and ‘social distancing’, such as booking an entire row of seats. Travellers also said that they would be more likely to add the cancellation option at the time of their booking.
The effect on tourist attractions will be felt as the level of demand for travel continues to drop
- Sporting events are the tourist attraction people are most likely to avoid with a huge 91% of respondents saying they would not attend a public sporting event. This was followed by theme parks (44%), museums (36.1%) and national parks (8.3%).
When it comes to sourcing information about the coronavirus, people rely largely on official government advice (70.4%) and online media (83.5%).
Data was gathered from 1,170 travellers who completed an online global survey on February 26th and 27th.
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