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Atol and Abta ‘most trustworthy’ advice sources, poll finds

Abta and the Atol scheme are viewed as the most trustworthy sources of holiday advice by almost half of customers polled last month by Icelolly.com.

The price comparison site ran a survey of 3,200 customers for nine days from June 12, gauging travel intentions and views on issues arising from the Covid-19 pandemic.

When asked to select the source they would trust most for advice on their next holiday, 24.3% said Atol, while 23.5% said Abta. Consumer champions such as Which? were chosen by 16.1% of respondents, followed by travel agents (14.6%) then friends and family, tour operators, traditional media and social media, which was selected by just 3%.

The poll also found that 63.7% of respondents were more likely to take travel insurance than previously, while 63.1% said they would be understanding if a holiday experience was less than advertised. However, 16% said they would seek compensation from a holiday provider in those circumstances.

When asked for their views on cruise, 75.6% of those who had previously taken a cruise said they would consider doing so again, while 56.3% of those who had never cruised said they would consider it for a future holiday.

Confidence levels

In positive news for the industry, the vast majority (90.8%) of those polled said they intended to go on holiday in “the next year or so”, with coronavirus the main reason cited by those that did not plan a break.

Three quarters of those who answered said the pandemic had changed their holiday plans, with 22.6% saying they would rather avoid airports, 13.4% saying they would rather drive and 8.3% preferring not to stay in hotels.

Asked about the UK’s blanket two-week quarantine imposed on June 8, 51.7% said they agreed with it while 37.8% disagreed, indicating majority support for the government’s approach at the time.

However, 70% of respondents said they would book once the quarantine is lifted and destinations are deemed safe to travel to.

The research found winter 2020/21 was the period most people said they would book when quarantine is lifted (32.3%) followed by summer 2021 (29.1%).

Summer 2020 came next on 23.8%, followed by Easter 2021 (12.1%) and winter 2021/22 (2.7%).

Just over two third of respondents  said they would book a short-haul European holiday, with long-haul, UK breaks and city breaks the next most popular.

Richard Singer, Icelolly.com chief executive, said: “It is clear from the results that there is caution but with nearly 60% of respondents having the intention to travel in 2020 there is pent-up demand.

“Surprisingly the introduction of a quarantine is well supported, however 90% intend to travel within the next 12 months.

“What is quite clear is that when quarantine lifts and FCO advice is changed, we’ll see a significant surge in bookings, even for this summer.”


More:Icelolly.com’s Pulse starts to race as holidaymakers anticipate green light to travel


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