Although concerns surrounding the outbreak of novel influenza A (H1N1), also known as the Swine Flu, were prevalent among Canadian residents, 97% of those who had plans to travel between May to August, 2009, kept those plans intact. This is just one of the findings from an Ipsos Reid survey conducted among 1,713 adult Canadian residents during the period May 1-5, 2009.

“While awareness of Swine Flu among Canadians was nearly universal, we see that the health concerns associated with this specific flu were not strong enough to convince Canadians that cancellation of their immediate travel was necessary,” says Dave Pierzchala, Vice President of Travel and Tourism Research at Ipsos Reid.

How will consumers respond should the Swine Flu situation worsen? Among those surveyed who had travel plans, only 7% responded they would cancel those plans without question. Twenty-five percent (25%) reported being willing to take a wait-and-see approach; and the remaining 68% intend to travel as planned.

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