Reader

Just saw an AP wire story that is all about travel (mostly in Europe) athttp://www.nytimes.com/aponline/national/AP-Attacks-Global-Tourism.html <BR> <BR>It says things like: Mass cancellations by travelers over the terror attacks against the United States may have the global tourism business headed for its worst crisis ever. <BR> <BR>Tourism experts, travel agents and cruise ship operators around the world already are describing the attacks as ``catastrophic'' for the $455 billion-a-year business. <BR>Jitteriness is expected to severely curtail travel plans to and from the United States, stemming the flow of Americans abroad and cutting trips by Europeans, Japanese and others to the United States -- one of the world's premier destinations. <BR>``The United States is essential to world tourism,'' said Miller, who has studied previous tourism disasters. ``It generates the most amount of revenue globally.'' <BR> <BR>Responding to the expected drop following Tuesday's terrorist attacks, airlines in the U.S. are cutting back service dramatically. The nation's nine largest airlines report losses between $100 million and $250 million each day the nation's air space was shut down. <BR>In Austria, the National Tourism Office predicts the terror attacks ``will affect all areas of tourism worldwide.'' Italy's national tourism board calls the situation ``very critical.'' <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR>

Sjoerd

I believe airlines will suffer much more than others. You are right that many non-Americans will cancel trips to the USA (a Dutch travel agent reported this morning that 40% of trips to the US were cancelled), and Americans will cancel overseas vacation trips. So many people will stay closer to home and will need to sleep and eat. So I guess hotels and restaurants will suffer less than airlines.

Capo

While I'm not saying that anyone who is fearful <I>should</I> travel, on the other hand, one can almost imagine the terrorists who were behind last Tuesday's tragedy rubbing their bloody hands with glee at the disruptions in travel, etc. that they've wrought. <BR> <BR>I'd guess that's exactly one of the things they want and, while I'm not putting down anyone who decides not to travel at this point, I admire those who won't let fear get to them. <BR> <BR>Wasn't it FDR who said "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself"?

pam

When I was in Rome the first time, the El Al airline office a few blocks away from my hotel was bombed. It fazed me surprisingly little--I certainly went on with my trip. I have been back and will go back. We travelers, of all groups, should realize that terrorism has unfortunately been a possibility and reality in many places--that we visit--for a long time. We have traveled nonetheless. I hate it that terrorists achieve their goal when we are scared to do normal things. <BR> <BR>I've even said that I love to travel because of the heightened state of awareness I have to adopt; that I am forced out of everyday complacency about where my next meal will come from; that I have to pay attention to where I am walking/driving/riding so I find the place I seek. Too often it seems like I'm on auto-pilot in my normal life. Inasmuch as the USA's sense of routine may be damaged, perhaps the bright side of that is that we will appreciate everything a little more, pay more attention to the world around us at home, and savor the days when there's nothing really of interest on the news broadcasts and the newspapers don't have headlines we think we should save for our grandchildren. If we have traveled and carried with us our hometown sense of security before now, we were maybe being naive. If we now bring some of our travel-mode heightened awareness out of the closet and use it every day, that might not be a bad thing. <BR> <BR>That said, the wounds we all have suffered are raw right now. We grieve and are distracted and distraught. The last thing many of us want to do right now is to be away from home and loved ones. Who could blame anyone for canceling a trip right now? We know Rome will still be there tomorrow; unfortunately what we have seen all too vividly is that son, mother, friend, neighbor, might not be.

sssss

But there were travelers on the planes that were taken over. If more planes are going to be taken over travelers would be on them too. Why put yourself in that position until our safety is taken more seriously by the airlines?

martha python

Capo, yours is certainly one theory: <BR>"one can almost imagine the terrorists who were behind last Tuesday's tragedy rubbing their bloody hands with glee at the disruptions in travel, etc. that they've wrought. <BR> <BR>I'd guess that's exactly one of the things they want." <BR> <BR>Well, yeah. But maybe they're also counting on a little Western swaggering bullheadedness: "I'm not lettin' them terrorists push me around," thus creating more targets. <BR> <BR>I think people should be making their decisions because of their own feelings rather than what they imagine some terrorist's to be.

Andante

I certainly fear fear itself. But I also fear death and separation from loved ones. <BR> <BR>Tourism is going to take a hit - although I think it was going to take a hit anyway because of an inevitable economic downturn. <BR> <BR>However, consider the possibility that Americans who are terrified of international travel will turn to seeing their own country. That may take up some of the loss of European/Asian tourists coming here. <BR> <BR>Tourism is the least of our worries, however, at the moment.

Pearl

I agree, it is time for us to turn our travel attention to the USA. Stick close to the homeland and spend your money here for a while. It is a beautiful country, you will see. <BR>

Escritora

The question of limiting our travel spending to this country for now has come up in other threads on this board. I repost my earlier comments here: <BR> <BR>The reality is that we have a global economy and that this attack, though its physical targets were here in my city, was an attack on the civilized world. <BR> <BR>If people in large enough numbers opt for driving holidays here at home rather than flights overseas, the airlines will be forced to implement more schedule cutbacks, which will reduce the influx of foreign visitors INTO our country. If the airlines suffer severe enough financial punishment, the largely US aerospace industry likewise will suffer. The US-owned hotels in the rest of the world will show reduced revenue that reduces their parent companies' bottom lines. Each wave of cutbacks will have a domino effect to further industries; companies that are shrinking or flirting with bankruptcy will not be making cash outlays for new computers, new office equipment, new furniture, and so on. And on. And on. <BR> <BR>Encourage your friends abroad to show their support for us by coming here. I would love to see my town, New York City, enjoy an unprecedented surge in tourism in the coming years. <BR> <BR>We can help by buying stock in companies and in general doing what we can to <BR>demonstrate, with our dollars, our faith in the future of our country and her economy. Those of you who are able--and <BR>please, only with the help of a good financial advisor--might buy New York <BR>municipal bonds. But let's not view in microcosm a situation that demands the <BR>broadest possible world view.

Pearl

By no means is this over yet, I am afraid. I want to stick close to home for awhile and would want my loved ones to do the same. I am not sending my daughter overseas to help our economy <BR>as a tourist. You may call me short sighted but I want to circle the wagons <BR>and lay low for a while.

Pickens

I am planning to go to Europe. I pushed my trip back, but I hope I am able to go. <BR> <BR>I spend my dollars in the US everyday and have traveled all over the US. I have to fly for business, so the US will get my dollars. <BR> <BR>I am more concerned about the price of airline tickets. I am happy to fly with new security measures, but if the airlines raise ticket prices too high, I definitely will not fly. <BR> <BR>However, in the effort of attracting back customers, ticket prices may come down substatially. <BR> <BR>

Linda

If you'd like an indication of how much tourism can be hit: Normal weekend room occupancy rate in Las Vegas for this time of year is over 90 percent. Last weekend it dropped to very close to 45 percent, just days after the tragedy. And that's just one city and one in the US. I expect international travel will be hit even more, at least from tourism from the US.

John G

Jesus H Christ, people....you can fall ant hit your head taking a shower...does this mean you are afraid to bathe?? I am never afraid to get on a plane. I can't wait to take advantage of the low airfares and hotel rates in Europe in the next month. I think this is the best time to travel. JG

Capo

Martha, Re: 'But maybe they're also counting on a little Western swaggering bullheadedness: "I'm not lettin' them terrorist push me around," thus creating more targets." <BR> <BR>Interesting "reverse psychology" theory, that terrorists actually want to strengthen the resolve of their victims, not terrorize them. Who knows, perhaps you're right. <BR> <BR>But, out of curiosity, how would people continuing to travel at or about the same level as before create "<I>more</I> targets"? Assuming travel stayed at roughly the same level, wouldn't the number of "targets" be roughly the same as before? <BR> <BR>

Capo

John, I think it's all a matter of perception. I'm sure there are people who commute to work every day on the freeway who are afraid to fly because their plane might crash, when their odds of dying in a car accident are probably much greater than dying in a plane crash. <BR> <BR>I also think a lot of the fear is due to the immediacy of last week's attack. I suspect travel will rebound, although perhaps slowly, as last week's events recede further and further into the past.

xxx

Its a personal choice. There is no right answer to this question. Let your conscience be your guide. Nobody knows the terrorist mind and what they are planning next. Enjoy everyday whether in your home or thousands of miles away.

Tammy

I'm with Capo on this issue. I just purchase tickets for my trip to Italy next year. I thought briefly about switching to Hawaii, but I have been there twice. What is to stop the terrorists in the States from hitting our tourist attractions? <BR>Should we all stay at home? I am going to continue to see as much of this beautiful planet as I can. <BR>

Pauline

He says above "I also think a lot of the fear is due to the immediacy of last week's attack. I suspect travel will rebound, although perhaps slowly, as last week's events recede further and further into the past.". Well the WTC and Pentagon attacks may "recede into the past" but I bet you dollars to donuts that once Bush & Co start attacking places like Afganistan and Iraq that there will be more attacks here in the USA on innocent civilians. Those are going to "recede" because they will keep on happening...and if the EC countries join with the US in these invasions, assassinations and other acts like that I bet Europe also sees a big increase in violence as a backlash. The ante just keeps geting upped and I myself don't think it's a good time to travel. I think it will remain dangerous for some time (months or perhaps years). I love to travel so I wish it wasn't so, but sadly I believe it is.

Marsh

If nothing horrible happens in the next several months to a year, tourism will come back, in all likelihood, depending on just how big a hit our economy takes from things that are already are undermining it. <BR> <BR>But the second major attack would make all the difference, and then you'll see something for the tourism industry that would go well beyond a crisis. <BR> <BR>I worry about the "we'll show 'em we aren't affected" mentality, because they aren't just trying to create an atmosphere of terror, despite what we call them. They are trying to actually and massively destroy, which makes them different from all previous terrorists. <BR> <BR>There's courage in a tough moment, and then there's putting our heads in the sand and trying to whistle with our butts in the air!