ASTA’s president stressed the safety of cruising, calling it one of the safest of vacation options, and calling the Costa Concordia accident “extremely rare.”
In the wake of this weekend’s partial sinking of the Concordia off the coast of Italy, ASTA President Nina Meyer extended the group’s sympathies to all those affected by the tragedy.
“On behalf of the travel agent community, we stand ready to assist in any way possible,” Meyer said.
“Accidents such as this are extremely rare,” adding that cruising “still remains one of the safest forms of vacation travel.”
CLIA on Monday issued a statement saying, “Accidents such as this one are an extremely rare occurrence in the cruise industry, and cruising continues to be one of safest means of travel among all types of vacationing.”
The cruise association extended its condolences “to all those affected by this terrible tragedy,” and said it would keep its travel agent members updated on the situation.
ASTA said it would be working closely with both CLIA and Costa Cruises to provide members with updates, including guidance for passenger re-accommodation or refunds for all future Concordia bookings.
Follow Johanna Jainchill on Twitter @jjainchilltw.