UPDATED: Swine flu outbreak - How is travel being affected?

Tuesday 28 April 2009

Updated 29/04/09
Searches for flights to Mexico down 19%

In the wake of the FCO’s advice that only essential travel to Mexico should be attempted, Skyscanner data shows a 19% drop in searches for flights to Mexico.

This is the first day since the swine flu outbreak that Skyscanner has seen a fall in search traffic for Mexico.

Barry Smith, Skyscanner director and co-founder commented:

"We’re finally seeing swine flu fears putting people off flying to Mexico. Perhaps what’s more surprising is that we’re not yet seeing a bigger drop. We expect this is because most people book flights around 2 months before they travel and are taking a long term view, hoping that the epidemic will have passed by then.

We expect to see further falls in searches to Mexico over the coming days and we’ll also be monitoring other countries that are seeing growing numbers of swine flu cases, to determine whether travel to those destinations is also being affected."

Several UK holiday firms including First Choice and Thomson have announced the cancellation of planned flights to Mexico from Manchester and Gatwick.

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Data from Skyscanner shows that travellers planning trips to Mexico have so far been undeterred by the outbreak of swine flu influenza in Mexico.

This is despite updated advice from the UK’s Foreign & Commonwealth Office and the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention that all non-essential travel to Mexico should be avoided.

“Dire predictions have already been made about the impact that this will have on tourism, but the number of Skyscanner users searching for flights to Mexico has remained stable in the days since news emerged of the outbreak,” said Skyscanner director and co-founder Barry Smith.
 
“A typical lead time for travellers planning a trip to Mexico is around two months so it is possible that people are taking a pragmatic view that the swine flu crisis may be over by the time of their planned trip. It may also be that travellers are reassured by the fact that the outbreak is largely concentrated in Mexico City – a two hour flight from the coastal resorts.”

Worried abut Swine Flu?
It’s important to remember that swine flu is nowhere near as dangerous as Avian flu. The symtons in humans are similar to standard strains of winter flu and although some people have died, most cases appear to be mild and non-lethal.

Visit the BBC News site for more information:
Q&A: What is swine flu? 
How serious is the threat?
Latest updates on Swine Flu