Coronavirus: Tourists find plenty of space on planes, ferries and at popular holiday spots

A traveller going from Cebu to Boracay said he had almost the whole plane, ferry and beach to himself. Photo / 123RF

A man travelling from Cebu to Boracay, a hotspot Philippines beach destination, almost made his journey solo - only being accompanied by a few other passengers and crew.

Rory Lovelock told the Age that he likes to board the plane last to try to score a row of spare seats.

When the Melbourne man tried to put his trick in play on his recent travels he was shocked to see he could have not one but tens of rows to himself.

"I had the whole plane, virtually. I thought 'cool'," Lovelock said.

The traveller believes people are overreacting as they "just associate Asia with the whole thing, even though it's mainly one province [in China]".

There have only been three confirmed cases and one death in the Philippines from the Coronavirus.

Last week CNBC reported that airlines, mostly within China, had cancelled more than 200,000 flights to try to halt the spread of the virus.

Despite the fear of catching the virus, some eager travellers are finding a silver lining and taking advantage of cheap flights and discounted accommodation.

"It's like going on holiday here 10 or 20 years ago," Lovelock told the Age.

"At the airport, the immigration officer told me to remove my hat. Then she reached under her counter and pulled out a gun and pointed it at my forehead. It made me jump. Luckily, it was just to measure my body temperature."

According to cruisecritic.com.au, some cruises to Pacific nations are closed to keep the virus away despite not having a single record.

Shares for Webjet, an online travel company, have also dropped nearly 20 per cent since the outbreak.