A week ago Icelolly saw a 20% slump in searches for holidays on its site compared to four weeks ago, but this week they started to make a recovery and were only 10% down.

However, Tenerife – historically the most searched-for destination on Icelolly – had dropped to third most popular after Majorca and Costa Blanca.

The Canary Island hit headlines after a hotel was quarantined because an Italian guest tested postive for Covid-19. 

Icelolly’s top 10 search destinations has shifted during the outbreak, with Malta rocketing up from 19th to fifth place and New York rising from 14th to ninth over the last four weeks.

Those destinations have pushed Gran Canaria and Dalaman out of the top spots.

Phuket in Thailand has seen a 50% hike in searches and a 25% drop in price, and the Netherlands, Egypt, Cyprus and Morocco all became more popular.

“Political and consumer confidence is a constant challenge for our industry to navigate,” said Richard Singer, Icelolly’s chief executive.
 

“From bird flu to the zika virus, swine flu to ebola, we’ve experienced similar situations where initial concerns have eventually subsided, and confidence in travel returned.”

He urged customers to buy travel insurance, adding: “Some commentators have suggested people should delay making travel plans, but even with the outbreak of coronavirus, there has never, statistically speaking, been a safer time to travel.”