Several holiday travelers, wary of swine flu in many countries, are having second thoughts about their travel plans. They are either changing their destinations or have scrapped their travel plans altogether, according to travel agency sources. Around 25 percent of travelers have re-routed their destinations or canceled their travel plans for the US and European countries. Khalid Parambath, general manager of Fouad Tours and Travels here, told Saudi Gazette that “Holiday travelers are, in fact, trying to avoid countries that have reported confirmed cases of swine flu and are looking for destinations that are considered comparatively safe. Around 20–25 percent of our customers have cancelled their bookings to US destinations due to the swine flu scare. And some families are delaying making travel plans until there is a clearer picture of the spread of the disease”. “Most travelers from the Kingdom now prefer destinations in the Middle East like Dubai and Lebanon, rather than going to the United States and Europe and some of our customers have already changed destinations due to swine flu fears,” said Abdul Jabbar, working in a leading travel agency. The swine flu scare coupled with the extended school holidays has reduced the summer rush for air tickets, say several people associated with the travel industry. Most travel agencies in the Eastern Province told Saudi Gazette that business was slowly improving at the beginning of May but that it has suddenly declined amid fears of the spread of swine flu. This has come as a double-blow for the travel industry in the Kingdom which was already reeling from the impact of the global recession. “My son is going for the first time to Houston for his higher studies next week. I am really concerned about the spread of swine flu over there and am still contacting university authorities in Houston for the latest updates on the pandemic,” Imran Khan, a Pakistani parent, told Saudi Gazette. “Instead of flying to Europe or the US, most holiday-makers will just drive to Abha or Taif and stay there for a while, where they can enjoy better weather,” Hussain Al-Haajji, a Saudi national working in the travel industry, said. In order to avoid the chance of being exposed to the deadly virus, many nationals and expatriates would rather spend their summer vacation in the Kingdom this year or in nearby Middle Eastern countries where there are less swine flu cases than in the US and Europe. “I planned to spend the summer vacation in the US along with my family, but due to the swine flu virus, I have put my travel plans on hold,” Mohammed Saeed, an Egyptian expatriate, said.
