Bird Flu blamed as Bangkok slumps
Cheapflights.com has warned that fears over Bird Flu are likely to have caused a slump in the number of searches for Bangkok.
The comparison site reported that the Thai capital, a perennial favourite, has slipped from the sixth in the most searched for destinations in January to number 14.
Chief executive David Soskin said the threat of Bird Flu, coupled with January being a slow month for long haul travel, was taking its toll.
“The shift in popularity away from Bangkok can almost certainly be attributed to the bird flu outbreak in South East Asia and people’s uncertainty about flying to places afflicted by the H5N1 strain,” he said.
“January is also a traditionally quiet month for long haul searches on the site with people preferring to focus on quick, post-Christmas winter sun breaks and long haul later in the year.”
The list shows New York as most popular destination followed by Tenerife, Malaga, Alicante and Amsterdam.
Barcelona was the biggest gainer, rising from 12th to 8th.
Report by Steve Jones
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