ALEXANDRIA – With the tragic crash of EgyptAir flight MS804 still making headlines around the world, a new study has found that recent terror attacks are causing fear among travellers, even those who are accustomed to life on the road.

According to a study of 606 veteran travellers worldwide, from March 17 to April 4, the Association of Corporate Travel Executives found that terror attacks stoke fears by more than 50%. In addition, 56% of respondents were moderately to severely anxious about a terrorism threat during business travel, while 58% said they were more fearful about terrorism than they were this time last year. Lastly, 53% of seasoned travellers are moderately to greatly concerned about an in-flight terrorist incident.

“Until we know definitively what caused the EgyptAir crash, people inevitably will think terrorism. In the world today, even veteran travellers who spend months on business trips are anxious. Probably even more important to them, their families are worried every time they head out of town for work, “said Greeley Koch, executive director for the Association of Corporate Travel Executives.

According to the ACTE survey, France leads the list of countries that are of concern for business travellers, followed by Turkey, Belgium, Syria, Egypt, the United Kingdom, Iraq and the United States.

The recovery time after a mass shooting, hostage taking or plane crash also plays on traveller psyche. Forty-five percent of ACTE respondents said that significant fear lasts for up to a month after an attack, while 65% said the effects linger for up to three months.