Travel agencies losing money

Travel agencies losing money

PADANG, West Sumatra: Travel bureaus in West Sumatra are
loosing millions of rupiah as a result of cancelled tours due to
the haze from the currently extensive brush and forest fires.

"Each of the province's 29 travel bureaus has suffered losses
averaging Rp 1 million (US$295) to Rp 8 million ($2,350)," head
of West Sumatra's chapter of the Association of Indonesian Travel
Agencies, Fauzi Tamin, told Antara here on Sunday.

He said the losses were attributed to cancelled tour packages
and airline tickets in the last two months. The figure did not
include cancelled trips to the province scheduled for November
and December this year.

"Each travel bureau normally carries out three tourist
packages a month. But since the smoke and haze, most packages
were cancelled," he added.

Tourist activities are very much dependent on weather
conditions. (mds)