Travel industry grapples with swine flu

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In light of the swine flu, the U.S. State Department and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a warning against any non-essential travel to Mexico. The move could potentially devastate an already struggling tourism industry in the country.

The World Health Organization urged countries not to restrict international travel or close borders, as such measures would not in themselves stem the outbreak. Efforts to contain the outbreak by restricting travel would be unlikely to work without “draconian measures,” said Dr. Keiji Fukuda, the agency’s assistant director-general. But he said people who are ill should put off trips abroad, and people who fall ill after a trip should see a doctor.

Mexico is the epicenter for the swine influenza virus outbreak. More than 100 deaths in Mexico are being investigated as possibly tied to the outbreak.

The WHO confirmed 73 cases of swine flu Monday, but health officials in Scotland, California and Texas confirmed nine more, bringing the worldwide total to 82.

Reports of the illness in Mexico couldn’t have come at a worse time for the country’s tourism industry, which is already grappling with negative publicity about drug-cartel fueled violence.
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“They were having a terrible time anyway with all of the problems on the border and now to be hit with this, too,” said Barbara Nassau, owner of New York-based In House Travel Solutions. She added that the outbreak has the potential to hamper travel similar to the way it was affected when bird flu hit China.

iReporter Dyana Pari Nafissi works in international business development in Mexico City and said tourism in the country had already been dealt a blow by fears of violence.

“We’ve been on a steady decline since the first U.S. travel warning about the drug cartels,” she said. “When you look at the kids that braved [that travel warning], and now they are back [in the U.S.] and they are sick. It’s devastating to the economy here.”

Ian Jeffries, a spokesman for Expedia.com, said the company had no data as of Monday on cancellations or changes caused by fear of swine flu, but added that it was prepared to aid any of its customers that had concerns.

“Expedia is currently offering to waive Expedia-imposed change and cancel fees for hotel and air reservations originally booked to Mexico,” he said. “We will continue to monitor the situation and modify our policy accordingly.”

Several major U.S. airlines also are waiving fees for those who want to change their travel plans to Mexico.
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Jeffery Brown arrived at the airport in Atlanta, Georgia, on Monday after spending five days in Cancun with his wife. They saw people in surgical masks but didn’t notice any widespread concern.

“My wife and I were a little concerned, but you know we haven’t seen anybody sick in our resort, and we haven’t seen anybody sick at the airport,” he said. “Nobody said a word about it [at the resort].”

Mexico isn’t the only country that potentially has a tourism headache on its hands. Cases of swine flu have also popped up in Canada and Spain as well as the United States and Scotland.

Steve Weakland, border security coordinator for the United States Customs and Border Protection Atlanta field office, said all of his personnel have received illness recognition training.

If a traveler exhibits symptoms of the disease, CBP employees have been trained to inform the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to further investigate.

“Our guys are more the recognition aspect of it,” Weakland said. “We wouldn’t make any diagnosis or anything along those lines.”

Many in the tourism industry appeared to be taking a wait-and-see approach. Disney Cruise Lines, which does not sail into Mexico, said it is closely monitoring the situation, as did officials for theme parks including Universal and Sea World in Orlando, Florida.

Rochelle Yates said a client of her New York City-based Yates Travel is planning to take plenty of antiseptic products on an upcoming trip to Cancun. Most seasoned travelers know to guard against infectious disease ordinarily, Yates said.
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“My clients are people who travel all over the world, and they know that you have to take precautions regardless,” Yates said. “You have to wash your hands no matter where you are, if you are on a cruise ship, in a hotel or even in your own house.”

By Lisa Respers France
CNN

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