Tunisia, Australia and Sri Lanka plummet in online searches
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Consumer confidence has been dented in Tunisia, Australia and Sri Lanka by recent disasters, according to online search engine Skyscanner. Tunisia has been worst affected with searches plunging 50 percent following the declaration of a state of emergency. Brisbane and Cairns searches are 15 to 20 percent below where the company would expect for this time of year. More surprisingly, figures for Perth and Sydney, both unaffected by the recent Queensland floods, also dropped by about 10 percent. Popular long haul holiday destination Sri Lanka has also seen a 20 percent decline in travel enquiries due to the island’s recent flooding. “The beginning of this year has seen flooding and civil unrest negatively impact short term confidence in tourism to Tunisia, Australia and Sri Lanka,” added Skyscanner chief executive Gareth Williams. “Research conducted by Skyscanner last year showed that consumers tend to be more deterred by civil unrest than natural disaster but see an immediate fall in interest following either. That said, as long as the event isn’t sustained, appetite for travel quickly recovers.”
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