One in four would go abroad with Covid-19

A poll of 2,000 UK travellers commissioned by comparison site Confused.com has found that over a quarter (28%) of those who responded would travel internationally after testing positive for Covid-19, if they felt well enough to.

Additionally, 13% said that they would go ahead with the trip even if they were feeling sick.

However, the survey – conducted by market research firm One Poll between 19 and 24 July 2024 – also found that despite this, one in 10 (11%) UK adults have cancelled a holiday due to personally having or travelling with someone who had Covid-19.

While many were able to rearrange their trip with their holiday provider (45%) or claim the loss back through insurance (28%), many were not so fortunate. A further quarter (23%) said that they lost money on their trip. While the average amount lost was £313, one in five lost over £500 in cancelling – a likely motivating factor behind why so many people are still going abroad despite testing positive for Covid-19.

“Like travelling with any other illness”

Another factor may be that a fifth (21%) of respondents felt that travelling with the disease is like travelling with any other illness.

This approach is a far cry from the era of the pandemic, when holidaymakers were required to test themselves for Covid-19 before travelling, and could be forced to isolate or refused entry into a country if they tested positive.

The report noted that many travellers may not be aware that they can rearrange their trip for a later date through their travel insurance without losing money. During the pandemic, Covid-19 coverage was outlined as a special feature of many travel policies; however, since the crisis ended, this has been less widely promoted – despite the coverage still being included as standard in many cases.

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) reported a 9.3% year-on-year rise in global passenger demand for air travel in June 2024.