Half of Brits want all travel to and from the UK to be stopped
Half of Brits think all travel to and from the UK should be stopped in an effort to halt the spread of coronavirus and more than one in four are worried about the impact of the virus on their holiday plans.
A study of 1,000 UK adults by research company OnePoll found almost a third are ‘very concerned’ about the virus, and 73% are worried about elderly relatives or those considered to be ‘high-risk’.
And travel agents and operators won’t be surprised to learn that 14% of those polled are thinking about cancelling or changing thier travel arrangements.
Almost a quarter of Brits said they will avoid seeing friends and family members who have been to a country affected by coronavirus while another 21% will stay away from those who have cold or flu-like symptoms.
A third think Glastonbury Festival should be cancelled in a bid to prevent the virus spreading across the UK, while 33% believe the same about this summer’s Olympics in Japan.
Almost three in 10 think Euro 2020 should be put on hold and 23% think Wimbledon should be scrapped.
A spokesman for research firm OnePoll.com said: "Coronavirus has been in the background of our lives for six weeks, but it’s only over the last few days that it’s become something many are beginning to take seriously.
"Previously, it was something affecting other countries – many of which most people wouldn’t have visited, so it was easy to put to the back of your mind.
"But with several confirmed cases in the UK – a figure which is only likely to rise – people are now thinking more about the effect the virus could have the UK and their own lives."
Although travel professionals are growing frustrated by the number of cancellations and a drop in demand, the industry’s own big European trade show, ITB Berlin, has been called off this week due to coronavirus concerns.
Do you think that was the right decision. Click here to share your view in our Mole Poll this week.
Bev
Editor in chief Bev Fearis has been a travel journalist for 25 years. She started her career at Travel Weekly, where she became deputy news editor, before joining Business Traveller as deputy editor and launching the magazine’s website. She has also written travel features, news and expert comment for the Guardian, Observer, Times, Telegraph, Boundless and other consumer titles and was named one of the top 50 UK travel journalists by the Press Gazette.
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