With swine flu and its connection to Mexico dominating the headlines, it’s no wonder a number of travelers are looking for an alternate destination this summer. Caribbean destinations may benefit, according to new trend data from TripAdvisor.
According to TripAdvisor, Mexican hotels have seen an average 50 percent drop in page views between April 27 and April 30 (a Monday through Thursday) compared to the same time period a week earlier. Concurrently, Caribbean hotels saw an average 30 percent jump in page views during that time.
Meanwhile, nearly a quarter of the 2,259 respondents to a TripAdvisor site poll said they “are considering wearing masks as a safety measure” for protection from the swine flu, according to a news release. The full results:
- 23 percent said yes to the mask
- 64 percent said no
- 13 percent said they have no travel plans
In addition, TripAdvisor Mexico forums saw an increase in swine flu-related discussion. While there were three posts with the word “swine” published between April 7 and April 14, there were 1,043 posts between April 21 and April 28.