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The terror attack in Paris has had little impact on UK holidaymakers’ confidence to travel, according to latest consumer research.
First Rate Exchange Services commissioned a survey of 5,000‑plus adults to update its Winter Holiday Confidence Index a week after the massacre in Paris on November 13.
This found no change in the proportion of consumers intending to take an overseas holiday (55%) in the coming 12 months compared with a previous survey in September.
Fewer than one in five (18%) of those who intend to travel said they would be put off by additional airport security and just over one in five (22%) said terror attacks made them less likely to take a holiday abroad.
The overall Holiday Confidence Index remained unchanged from that published in October (Travel Weekly, October 29). At the same time, four of the six measurements which go to produce the overall index rose and only one fell.
First Rate Exchange Services head of strategy and innovation Alistair Rennie said: “It’s understandable there may be a short-term dip in demand for destinations that have suffered from terrorism. But in the medium term we expect to see demand for Europe restored.”
The findings also suggest a small but growing willingness among consumers to spend more on overseas holidays. All three measures of spending rose, with a higher proportion of holidaymakers expecting to spend more on their booking, take more money away and spend more while on holiday than in September.
Rennie noted: “This is the first time in a year we’ve seen an indication that holidaymakers are prepared to increase their budgets.”
However, there was a fall of two percentage points on September in the proportion intending to take a holiday in Continental Europe.