Will Swine Flu (or Panda Flu) Affect Your Holiday Plans?

When the Swine Flu outbreak reached pandemic level it caused fear and affected feelings about travelling far from home and risking exposure.  Swine Flu is predicted to make a dramatic return this winter, so it remains to be seen how it will affect winter sun and ski trips.

Swine Flu is no joking matter, especially for those already affected by it.  However, we couldn’t resist this YouTube classic.  As far as we know, this cute little fella wasn’t diagnosed with Panda Flu!

Many Britons may have taken a ‘staycation’ or ‘holistay’ this year, but the recession and fear of catching Swine Flu does not appear to be stopping us from taking trips abroad.  In fact, recent reports indicate that the new trend is toward taking multiple short breaks and booking at the last minute.

Backing up this apparent new trend is a report by P&O Ferries which experienced a surge in last minute bookings to France over the August Bank Holiday weekend, with bookings up on last year.  It seems that family self-drive holidays via ferry may have more appeal than flying at the moment for many travellers.  Perhaps the general state of the economy has made us commitment-phobic, preferring not to be tied to holiday plans made many months or even years ahead. 

At the time of writing, we are not aware of any official advisories against travel to a country due to the Swine Flu.  However, if you experience flu-like symptoms (fever, runny nose, sore throat, headache, cough, body ache, chills, etc) travel should be avoided.  Use common sense and preventative measures, such as frequent hand washing – especially after using public toilets.  People in high risk groups such as seniors, young children, pregnant women or those with weakened immune systems or conditions such as asthma should consult their doctor before travelling abroad.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) have put together some very useful information about ‘Travelling and Swine Flu’ on their website.   Here at TIA we receive many calls from customers regarding Swine Flu and how it may affect their travel insurance.  We are pleased to say that Swine Flu is treated no differently than many other health problems – for more information click here.