Asian tourism industry hit by deadly health scare

Asian tourism industry hit by deadly health scare

Agence France Presse, Hong Kong

Asia's travel and tourism industries are looking increasingly
sick as a deadly pneumonia virus ravages the region.

In Hong Kong, 22 percent of all scheduled flights were
canceled on Sunday as demand dropped in the face of the outbreak
of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), bringing the total
number of flights axed over the weekend to 229.

Hong Kong has recorded 22 deaths and 842 cases of suspected
SARS, which first broke out in China where 51 deaths and 1,247
cases of the mysterious illness have been announced.

Hong Kong Tourism Board executive director Clara Chong said
"it is clear already that April is going to be an extremely
difficult month for the tourism industry."

Singapore, which is among the worst-hit countries with more
than 100 cases reported and six deaths, will have to trim this
year's growth forecast because of the SARS outbreak, Prime
Minister Goh Chok Tong said in remarks published on Monday.

The island state will lose at least 23 million Singapore
dollars (US$12.99 million) a week in tourist spending and
canceled flights if the SARS outbreak continues, Standard
Chartered Bank economist Joseph Tan said.

Thailand, a major tourist destination, has already seen
bookings plunge by at least 20 percent and they will drop even
further in April, said Saneh Roberto Jotikasathira, vice
president of the Association of Thai Travel Agents.

The country is expected to lose 30 billion baht ($700 million)
in tourism revenue in 2003 due to the war in Iraq and the spread
of SARS, says the Thai Farmers Research Center, an economic
thinktank.

Australia is revising its tourism strategy to lure visitors
from countries unaffected by the virus amid fears the outbreak
will devastate the tourism industry, the government said Monday.

"We have canceled substantial marketing budgets throughout
Asia, parts of Europe and certainly in the United States and
we're re-allocating funds into New Zealand, India and into other
markets that are not affected by SARS," tourism minister Joe
Hockey said.

A group of Taiwan travel agents has appealed to the cabinet
for swift official assistance to help them survive the viral
pneumonia scare, which they said had prompted the worst tourism
crisis for 30 years.

Hardest hit is the once thriving mainland-bound tourism trade,
while tourists also scrapped at least 80 percent of their
bookings for trips to Southeast Asia, Japan and South Korea,
according to figures compiled by the Republic of China
Association of Travel Agents.

Several airlines, already hit by the Iraq war, have cut their
flights to and from the region.

Japan's All Nippon Airways said it saw roughly 4,000
cancellations in March and April for China- and Hong Kong-bound
flights and would cut its daily Narita-Hong Kong flights from two
to one from Tuesday.

As travel agencies called off package tours to Hong Kong and
Guangdong, at least 1,120 people have canceled their plans to
visit either Hong Kong or Guangdong, according to a survey
conducted by the transport ministry.

Malaysia Airlines has suspended one of its daily flights to
Hong Kong between April 4 and April 30 and dropped two daily
flights to Singapore between April 7 and May 28 because of SARS.

Korean Air, South Korea's biggest airliner, has announced the
suspension of 10 routes to China until the end of the month.

Air Mauritius, which carries many South African tourists to
the region, has suspended its Hong Kong flights and twice-weekly
service to Singapore and Malaysia from April 10 to May 31.

Indonesian flag carrier Garuda has suspended or reduced
flights to Singapore, Shanghai and Hong Kong.

Leading New Zealand travel agent Flight Center says, however,
there is unnecessary panic over SARS.

"We've had cases of people canceling trips to Rarotonga or
Fiji because of SARS, yet these are clearly non-affected areas,"
said managing director Graeme Moore.