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| Friday, 12 September 2003 |
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Tourism industry survives after Sept 11 attacks The global tourism industry was badly hit by the September 11 attacks in the US but is learning to adapt to the new environment and may emerge from the trauma even stronger. The immediate effect of the attacks was a sharp drop in the numbers of Americans venturing abroad. September 11 "changed Americans' perception of the world", which they now see as more hostile, and led them to travel less, according to Jacob Vigdor of Duke University, North Carolina. On the flip side of the coin, stricter security and administrative measures for entry into the United States have also hit the tourism industry. World Tourism Organisation Secretary General Francesco Frangialli admits that September 11 was "a major component in a series of events which hit tourism". But the industry slide, he argues, began in mid-2001 with the weakening of the economies of the United States, Germany and Japan, from whence come the world's most prolific tourists. There followed a "multi-faceted" crisis, according to Frangialli, including the September 11 attacks, the war in Iraq and the SARS disease outbreak. All these factors, he said, had a direct impact on tourism, but the industry has subsequently adapted in an "extraordinary" manner. "In the end the sector has emerged less vulnerable than air transport," he said. "There has not been the kind of collapse that some people too swiftly predicted." Frangialli said that tourism globally had fallen by just 0.6 percent in 2001, followed by a fall of 3.1 percent in 2002, with 715 million tourist arrivals worth 480 billion dollars (432 billion euros). "A very good performance," in the circumstances. "The latent demand for tourism is strong and people are adapting. There have been switches in destinations, and a very clear shift from a part of international tourism towards regional and domestic tourism. But the sector has held up." The terrorist attacks in 2001 and the events which followed also accelerated some trends, Frangialli said, citing as examples last-minute bookings and shorter-stay trips. Meanwhile security has been reinforced, but at a price both in terms of cost and convenience. British airways has begun talks with Boeing, a leading US defense contractor, and European aircraft maker Airbus about installing anti-missile technology on its planes, a British daily reported last week. In a report to go before the World Tourism Organisation general assembly in Beijing next month, Frangialli speaks of modifications in the industry's structure and a "period of adjustment" with restructuring, regrouping and new technologies which "will benefit everybody". According to the World Tourism Association secretary general, the events of September 11 and its aftermath did have the one positive effect of "revealing" the huge importance of tourism to the world economy. This notion, he added, is linked to the decision taken in Geneva in July to transform the organisation from an intergovernmental institution into a body geared specifically to the United Nations. (AFP) ############# Marhaba and American Express renew contract Dnata - Marhaba Services, the well-known 24-hour meet-and-greet operators at Dubai international Airport, and American Express recently have renewed their contract. It offers certain categories of American Express card holders usage of the Marhaba Lounge at the Sheikh Rashid Terminal. The Marhaba Lounge is a stunning re-creation of traditional Arabian decor that offers truly modern facilities and has proved to be extremely popular with passengers. Pictured here, Mr. Rasool Hujair, Regional Director American Express (left) and Ismail Ali Albanna, Executive Vice President - Dnata, with Cheerful Marhaba Services Agents Ms. Sepideh Samiey and Ms. Camelia De Luca. |
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