Fears of a terror attack were such a concern for holidaymakers than four in ten said they couldn’t relax on holiday this year.
Off the Brits who went abroad this year, 22 per cent said they were ‘very concerned’ and 18 per cent said they were ‘quite concerned’ about an attack while away, according to a report by World Travel Market.
The fear of was also a key reason for choosing a ‘staycation’ in 2015. Of those who holidayed in the UK during 2015, 61 per cent said the terrorism threat was an important factor in their decision.
In addition to fears of terrorism in resort, UK holidaymakers also worried about the influx of refugees or asylum seekers in their holiday destination, with 35 per cent admitting this was a concern in the past year. Just less than a third (30 per cent) said they were concerned about political instability and 25 per cent were concerned about natural disasters when travelling abroad.
Surprisingly, despite admitting to worries, the vast majority of holidaymakers surveyed (77 per cent) said they did not consult Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) guidance when choosing a destination. Ten per cent said they consulted the FCO advice but ignored it. Only 12 per cent said they consulted the Government department’s guidance and acted on it.
The fear of a terror attack could be one reason why the UK topped the poll of 2,000 holidaymakers when it came to their choice of 2016 holiday. Staycations – holidays at home – beat Spain and France into second and third place as the most popular holiday choice for 2016 for the second year running.
