Keeping Positive In A Travel Crisis
Breaking news of Iceland's Eyjafjallajokull volcanic eruption last month left
millions of travellers stranded abroad, panicked by the cost and stress or rearranging holidays, business ventures and trips away from the UK.Reported by the BBC to have caused the most amount of air disruption since 9/11, and with recent news of ash spreading once again, the dispersion of the volcanic ash continues to affect countries across the globe.
The cost of being stranded abroad has already had a severe impact on tourists and continues to take its toll on businesses and locals alike. With millions of holiday makers either stuck at the airport or having to fork out for extra accommodation, holiday add-ons such as car hire and the cost of living whilst abroad, it is evident that this crisis has not only had an immediate negative effect on travel budgets but may dramatically change the way people holiday in the future.
With this in mind, below are a few tips that may help those struggling to stay positive in the current situation:
1) Use your contacts:
For those fortunate enough not to have been effected by the volcano in it's early stages, what may initially have seemed 'lucky,' as friends, family or colleagues were granted an extra few days holiday is an opinion that couldn't be further from the truth.
The Telegraph has reported that families have endured days of stress and worry, spending close to the amount of an additional holiday in order to cover the costs of getting home, being stuck at the airport or staying put until otherwise directed.
In times like these, it is acceptable to be a little bit cheeky, and with an increasing number of the British population investing overseas, most people know somebody who owns a property or rents out a holiday home. Make the most of this opportunity, it is a well known trait that us Brits stick together, and during a crisis will be more than happy to help fellow holiday makers. Sleeping on sofas, asking for a lift to the nearest airport or borrowing a friend's car whilst abroad will not only save time and money, but will provide many the comfort of a familiar face at a time of trouble.
2) Embrace modern technology
It is absolutely essential to stay informed whilst you wait. Try to get onto the internet as much as possible, keep your eye on the news and keep in close contact with friends and family based in the UK. These are all key to providing you with necessary information regarding your travel arrangements, breaking news or changes in insurance policies. Contact the airport regularly to enquire about this, they may be able to offer you a refund on flights or a cheaper option with regards to flying home.
However, with regards to media I would take hype into consideration. "You will starve and die during the volcanic ash eruption crisis", isn't the kind of headline you want to be reading whilst stuck at the airport with little more on your credit card than enough for a coffee and a cake for one, when you have a family to cater for. Just be sensible with what you read and how much of it you believe, so as to eliminate any more panic, trust you will get home in due course and whilst away, try and make the most of the resources that are available to you.
3) Consider business loss and gain
As flights have been grounded, hotels fully booked and airports increasingly busy, there has been a lot of pressure on the tourism industry to keep things running as smoothly as possible. With millions of pounds lost everyday in the airline industry alone so far, it is said the the wider economy is going to take a hard hit as a result of the volcanic ash cloud. London alone has been said to have lost over 100 million in the tourism and leisure sector seeing a large decrease in the number of ticket sales and bookings for the city's main attractions.
Most businesses are doing everything they can to reimburse the costs of having to stay abroad for what could potentially be an extra week, if not more for some travellers. Insurance companies and airlines are paying out millions of pounds towards the cost of returning passengers home as soon as possible, however restrictions do apply so again, keep up to date with any changes arising in policies and legislation over the course of your trip.
On the contrary, not all businesses are suffering as a result of the crisis and with stranded tourists spending extra money whilst on holiday, local businesses have already and will continue to see a short term increase in profit over this period. As a tourist you can make the most of this to suit your budget. More often than not, locally sourced products are often cheaper than those bought in the supermarket and will save you spending what could potentially be next year's holiday budget on expensive meals in restaurants. Stock up whilst you can in order to get through what could inevitably be an uncertain few days or weeks.
If you have already returned to the UK and survived the stress of delayed and cancelled flights or used an alternative method to get home, it may be presumptuous to say you might not be travelling again for a while however you may just need to book another holiday to recover!
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