A University of Queensland (UQ) study estimates that the pandemic has robbed Queenslanders of almost 4.7 million holidays.
UQ said this figure included more than 2.4 million domestic vacations and 2.2 million international trips that were unable to be taken.
Professor of Tourism at UQ Business School, Bob McKercher said the lost holidays had several serious repercussions for those involved.
“Apart from the economic losses of these forsaken trips, which are well known, the biggest cost is to the mental health of Queensland residents,” Professor McKercher said.
“More than half of the people we talked to identified the mental health benefits of escape — recharging one’s batteries, simply having a break from day-to-day lives, or being able to spend time with family and friends — as the greatest benefit of travel.”
He said one respondent said holidays were needed to relieve a stressful lifestyle, while another said “seeing new places and experiencing new things keeps life interesting, helps keep the mind stimulated and fights off depressive episodes”.
Professor McKercher and colleagues, Karen Hughes and Mucha Mkono, surveyed more than 800 Queensland residents over the age of 25 during May and early June this year.
He said participants were asked about their travel patterns during 2019, 2020 and so far in 2021; and how many trips were cancelled, postponed or were unlikely to be taken in anticipation of a COVID lockdown.
“We found domestically, some 800,000 trips within Queensland were lost thanks to the pandemic,” Professor McKercher said.
“Another 1.7 million trips elsewhere in the country were either cancelled or postponed with little chance of being taken.”
He said the research revealed Asian destinations suffered the most internationally, with some 750,000 trips by Queenslanders to those destinations put on hold, followed by half a million visits to Europe.
Professor McKercher said New Zealand was also affected with 330,000 trips cancelled, with 75 per cent of people planning holidays there in recent times forced to change their plans due to the pandemic.
