Asian tourism industry hit by deadly health scare<\/p>\n
Agence France Presse, Hong Kong<\/p>\n
Asia's travel and tourism industries are looking increasingly
\nsick as a deadly pneumonia virus ravages the region.<\/p>\n
In Hong Kong, 22 percent of all scheduled flights were
\ncanceled on Sunday as demand dropped in the face of the outbreak
\nof Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), bringing the total
\nnumber of flights axed over the weekend to 229.<\/p>\n
Hong Kong has recorded 22 deaths and 842 cases of suspected
\nSARS, which first broke out in China where 51 deaths and 1,247
\ncases of the mysterious illness have been announced.<\/p>\n
Hong Kong Tourism Board executive director Clara Chong said
\n"it is clear already that April is going to be an extremely
\ndifficult month for the tourism industry."<\/p>\n
Singapore, which is among the worst-hit countries with more
\nthan 100 cases reported and six deaths, will have to trim this
\nyear's growth forecast because of the SARS outbreak, Prime
\nMinister Goh Chok Tong said in remarks published on Monday.<\/p>\n
The island state will lose at least 23 million Singapore
\ndollars (US$12.99 million) a week in tourist spending and
\ncanceled flights if the SARS outbreak continues, Standard
\nChartered Bank economist Joseph Tan said.<\/p>\n
Thailand, a major tourist destination, has already seen
\nbookings plunge by at least 20 percent and they will drop even
\nfurther in April, said Saneh Roberto Jotikasathira, vice
\npresident of the Association of Thai Travel Agents.<\/p>\n
The country is expected to lose 30 billion baht ($700 million)
\nin tourism revenue in 2003 due to the war in Iraq and the spread
\nof SARS, says the Thai Farmers Research Center, an economic
\nthinktank.<\/p>\n
Australia is revising its tourism strategy to lure visitors
\nfrom countries unaffected by the virus amid fears the outbreak
\nwill devastate the tourism industry, the government said Monday.<\/p>\n
"We have canceled substantial marketing budgets throughout
\nAsia, parts of Europe and certainly in the United States and
\nwe're re-allocating funds into New Zealand, India and into other
\nmarkets that are not affected by SARS," tourism minister Joe
\nHockey said.<\/p>\n
A group of Taiwan travel agents has appealed to the cabinet
\nfor swift official assistance to help them survive the viral
\npneumonia scare, which they said had prompted the worst tourism
\ncrisis for 30 years.<\/p>\n
Hardest hit is the once thriving mainland-bound tourism trade,
\nwhile tourists also scrapped at least 80 percent of their
\nbookings for trips to Southeast Asia, Japan and South Korea,
\naccording to figures compiled by the Republic of China
\nAssociation of Travel Agents.<\/p>\n
Several airlines, already hit by the Iraq war, have cut their
\nflights to and from the region.<\/p>\n
Japan's All Nippon Airways said it saw roughly 4,000
\ncancellations in March and April for China- and Hong Kong-bound
\nflights and would cut its daily Narita-Hong Kong flights from two
\nto one from Tuesday.<\/p>\n
As travel agencies called off package tours to Hong Kong and
\nGuangdong, at least 1,120 people have canceled their plans to
\nvisit either Hong Kong or Guangdong, according to a survey
\nconducted by the transport ministry.<\/p>\n
Malaysia Airlines has suspended one of its daily flights to
\nHong Kong between April 4 and April 30 and dropped two daily
\nflights to Singapore between April 7 and May 28 because of SARS.<\/p>\n
Korean Air, South Korea's biggest airliner, has announced the
\nsuspension of 10 routes to China until the end of the month.<\/p>\n
Air Mauritius, which carries many South African tourists to
\nthe region, has suspended its Hong Kong flights and twice-weekly
\nservice to Singapore and Malaysia from April 10 to May 31.<\/p>\n
Indonesian flag carrier Garuda has suspended or reduced
\nflights to Singapore, Shanghai and Hong Kong.<\/p>\n
Leading New Zealand travel agent Flight Center says, however,
\nthere is unnecessary panic over SARS.<\/p>\n
"We've had cases of people canceling trips to Rarotonga or
\nFiji because of SARS, yet these are clearly non-affected areas,"
\nsaid managing director Graeme Moore.<\/p>",
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