Hurricane, Shmuricane: Poll Finds Many Travelers Unconcerned About Storm Threat

A recent survey of TripAdvisor members finds that 30 percent of travelers -- and 36 percent of U.S. travelers -- say they plan to visit a destination in the hurricane zone this summer even though it is hurricane season. Moreover, 43 percent of those traveling to hurricane-prone areas like Florida and the Caribbean say they are not concerned about a storm interrupting their trip, and 15 percent said they are taking advantage of low, hurricane-season prices on hotels, airfares, etc.

The survey found that while the Caribbean is the "most feared" hurricane-season destination, 64 percent of travelers said they would be willing to visit a destination in the hurricane zone if it meant significant savings: 26 percent said it would take a half-off deal to lure them, while about a quarter of travelers would take the risk for a 41-50 percent discount (only 17 percent of those surveyed said they wouldn't travel to a hurricane area for any price). Lucky for travelers, those are exactly the kind of discounts you can find in the Caribbean for summer stays.

If that's not enough evidence that travelers are hardier souls than they usually get credit for, the poll also found that fewer than half say they would immediately cancel their vacation plans if a hurricane was due to hit their destination, and 10 percent said they would ride out the storm. Only about one in five travelers say that predictions of an active hurricane season would alter their travel plans.

"Travelers consistently appear to have a healthy respect for hurricanes, but generally won't let weather get in the way of their vacation plans," said Michele Perry, vice president of global communications for TripAdvisor.

More Information on Caribbean Hurricanes

How to Avoid Storms on Your Caribbean Vacation