ravel is picking up but people are
still apprehensive, especially about trips far from home. In
particular, the constant talk about war with Iraq is making people
wary of crossing the Atlantic, even though a glance at a map should
reassure them about how far the Continent is from the Middle East.
The same phenomenon occurred during the Persian Gulf War. People
stayed away from Europe in droves while that conflict lasted, and
for a while afterwards.
The malaise about international travel is different this time
around because of the terrorism we've experienced. In a war, it is
possible to identify the area of conflict but, so long as people
are afraid of random terrorist acts, they worry about where those
acts might occur, and they look for safe havens.
I hear people express concerns about shopping at malls or being
in crowds just about anywhere.
Maybe it's because I've reached a stage in life that doesn't
allow for long delays in fulfilling aspirations, I find it sad that
people are so easily dissuaded from what they would otherwise do.
Long before 9/11, life was filled with risk and we went about our
business.
I understand the apprehensions of those who are reluctant to
take long-distance trips and are buying a bigger home entertainment
system and double-locking every door.
A portion of the traveling public will succumb to this
temptation, no matter what we do. But we mustn't overlook the fact
that there still are millions of Americans who are not afraid, and
we must do everything we can to continue to make international
travel appealing to them.
That means not just attractive price offers but appealing
opportunities to see new places and to enjoy new experiences
overseas.
It means learning the special interests of travelers and finding
travel products that match these interests.
Most of all, it means continuing to promote travel
enthusiastically, and continuing to travel ourselves as a
demonstration of our commitment.