As Omicron spreads, almost 80% Canadians won’t travel this holiday season: poll
Global News
The new highly-transmissible COVID-19 variant and government advisory have compelled many Canadians to change their travel plans.
A majority of Canadians will not be travelling over the holiday period, according to a new poll, as the highly-transmissible Omicron variant continues to drive a rapid rise in COVID-19 cases at home and abroad.
In a survey published Thursday by RedFlagDeals.com, 79 per cent said they don’t plan to travel by plane during the 2021 holiday season. But almost 22 per cent said they would.
The online survey included 1,157 participants and was conducted from Dec 15-20. The survey questions focused on air travel, which is considered relatively safer than cruise travel, in the context of COVID-19, though riskier than travelling by car.
Heeding the federal government’s travel advisory to avoid non-essential travel, 31 per cent of respondents said they have cancelled their flights due to the Omicron threat. Some 63 per cent said they were hesitant to book new flights because of it.
However, 70 per cent stated the Omicron variant, which is threatening to replace the Delta variant as the dominant strain in several countries, had not affected their travel plans.
The Omicron variant has already led to hundreds of flight cancellations due to staff shortages tied to COVID-19, disrupting holiday celebrations during one of the busiest travel times of the year.
Shifting regulation in response to Omicron and discomfort among Canadians is forcing many to reconsider their travel plans, said Kate Musgrove, director of RedFlagDeals.com.
Early research shows the Omicron variant is more transmissible than Delta, even though it carries less risk of hospitalization and severe illness.