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.”
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