Travel agents say business slow due to Iraq war

ALTHOUGH the post- Carnival period is generally regarded as a “slow period” in the airline travel industry with departures out-numbering arrivals, travel agents in south Trinidad have reported a drop in new bookings for the United States and Canada.

One agent predicted a worldwide slump in tourist arrivals for the remainder of 2003. Farouk Khan, manager of Farouk Khan Travel Agency, told Newsday yesterday that while there were no cancellations among persons booked to travel to the US, a large number of “leisure travellers” had adopted a “watch and see” approach to the current US war against Iraq. “There are fewer new bookings taking place right now,” he said, adding, “But, Trinis like to travel, and will travel, but anxiety over this war is affecting everyone,” he said. Khan said travel among Caribbean islands seemed unaffected, pointing to fully booked Easter weekends to Tobago, Grenada and Barbados. In full agreement was Constellation Travel Service manager, Mr Rosales, who said while there was “no new activity” out of New York and Miami, the Port-of-Spain/ Toronto route showed no signs of a decrease. “In fact, this route stood up in terms of visitor arrivals and departures,” he said.

Rosales said travel agents worldwide were already bracing for a further slump in an industry already affected by the fall-out from the Sptember 11th, 2001, World Trade Center bombings. “Severe economic hardship is bound to follow the longer this war drags on,” he said. Echoing his sentiments was an agent at TECU Travel Agency who said several international companies had advised their personnel to refrain from travelling during this period of uncertainty. “We have had a few cancellations from these companies who, like everyone else, is waiting to see what happens, though if this conflict goes on for several more weeks then it is the end of travel for 2003,” she said. However, travel agent at Amrals Travel Service, Eric Ali, said their bookings out of JFK and Miami remained “on schedule” with “no cancellations”. But Ali admitted that several persons had expressed fear of flying to the US. “We just have to wait and see what happens,” he said.