Almost half of the people interviewed (46%) disagreed that the airspace closures made them less likely to fly later this year. Approx. 1,010 people were interviewed and the majority said that the media hype surrounding the Ash crisis had not deterred them from booking holidays by air this summer. The survey found that almost 20% of people ended up having to either cancel or change their business trips because they could not fly out of the UK. Despite this, only 16% will consider alternative methods of transport such as coach holidays for their annual summer break this year.
The closure of UK airports affected almost 3 million Brits with many stranded in Europe trying desperately to get back home. The research has shown 80% of people were prevented from flying to the volcano with a further 19% indirectly affected through family being unable to fly. More than a 1/3 of people interviewed (34%) said that either they or a family member were unable to return on a scheduled date with a quarter having to cancel or postpone their planned holiday due to being unable to depart through the UK airport closure. Nearly all of those people interviewed said that the Government’s flight ban, on the advice of the national Air Traffic Services, was the right course of action to take – passenger safety was paramount!
The continued emissions from the Eyjafjallajokull volcano is still affecting certain holidays by air and many experts predict this could carry on throughout 2010 as the plume of ash changes direction through various weather patterns. As a result, Brits should perhaps consider ‘staycations’ this summer of perhaps opt for UK coach tours or European coach holidays that avoid flying.
If you’re wondering where to go to this summer and are worried as to whether the ash plume is going to affect your travelling plans, let Door2Tour.com provide some inspiration for you. Take coach holidays to Italy and explore Rome, Lake Garda, Venice or Diano Marina on the Italian Riviera where you’ll find much more than pastas, pizzas & piazzas on Italy coach holidays. Explore the canals of Amsterdam, go cycling in Valkenburg or admire the amazing Amsterdam Battle Of Flowers Parade. Go on Spain coach holidays and relax in the Costa Brava, sample some shopping in Las Ramblas on coach holidays to Barcelona, maybe book a Spain Mini Cruise, enjoy a Canary Islands Cruise or discover Green Spain. Coach holidays to France are also a good option if you wish to avoid flying this summer. Maybe take rail journeys to discover Southern France and visit interesting places such as Avignon, Carmargue and Provence on France coach holidays. See Provence how the artists saw it with escorted tours to France to explore scenic landscapes on walking tours.
There’s so much available to you through UK coach holidays or European coach tours – check out the variety on Door2Tour.com today!