Donald Trump becoming President of the USA has been named as one of the top global issues impacting on people’s travel decisions in 2017.
ABTA luxury holiday specialist Sun-hat Villas & Resorts conducted a study of 1,300 people to uncover what high profile events and issues would be affecting where and when they decide to holiday this year.
The top six concerns holidaymakers said they would be taking into account were:
- The threat of terrorism (82%).
- Illness and disease, such as the Zika virus (45%).
- The exchange rate (29%).
- The threat of natural disasters (22%).
- Countries with unstable economies (22%).
- Donald Trump becoming president (16%).
Brexit and the imminent triggering of Article 50 failed to make it onto the list, with 80% of people saying it has had no impact at all on their travel plans.
Peter Jenkins, managing director of Sun-hat Villas & Resorts, believes certain European destinations are set to receive a real spike in visitors this summer as holidaymakers become more cautious:
“Holidays are a big annual investment and people want to be confident in their choice of destination. Locations such as Turkey have suffered terribly because of recent terrorism and the Zika virus put many off visiting South America.
“Donald Trump’s presidency is the newest addition to this list. His victory has caused high profile debate and I think our research shows that holidaymakers are not a fan of the uncertainty that his win has caused. Of course, all of that could change once he’s settled into the role and we know what kind of President he will be. However, until then, people are all too aware of the impact political changes can have on economic stability and exchange rates.
“I believe this is why we are seeing a surge of interest in Spanish locations and resorts in the Algarve. In the first week of January alone, bookings were up for such destinations by 16% year-on-year.”
The research from Sun-hat Villas & Resorts follows a warning from travel deals firm Travelzoo at the end of 2016, with suggestions that 1 million fewer Brits will visit the US as a result of Donald Trump’s win.
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