HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2003-04-16, Page 7THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 16, 2003. PAGE 7.
Travel industry takes hit from world events
By Mary Simmons
Student writer
With recent world events the travel
industry has taken a hit, but it hasn’t
been knocked out.
The war in Iraq, as well as the war
against terrorism, has caused some
people to think twice before heading
south of the border, while closer to
home, in Toronto, the recent health
scare has kept people from travelling
to the city.
Severe Acute Respiratory
Syndrome (SARS) has been a
contributing factor in the deaths of at
least 10 people in the Toronto area.
The war didn’t stop Dianne
Radford from heading down to her
condominium in North Palm Beach,
Florida, three times this winter, most
recently leaving on March 19 and
returning April 6.
Radford said she didn’t notice
much of a difference from other
times she has headed south.
“Security was tighter at the border,
but that’s to be expected. They
should be checking things out,” she
said.
Radford said she recalls hearing a
few references to Canada not
supporting Americans in the war
against Iraq, but most of the people
she talked with were friends she
made on past trips and she saw no
difference in the way they treated
her.
“Maybe if you were travelling
around, doing more of the tourist
things, you’d notice a difference, but
never
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NH discusses Wheels Away
financial statements. “They say they
have no money, yet there is still a
surplus.”
The surplus showing is $41,306
for 2002.
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North Huron council continues to
work on a solution with Wheels
Away.
Council at its April 7 meeting were
presented with the organization’s
financial statements and Clerk-
Administrator John Stewart said a
copy of North Huron’s proposal for
funding is to be submitted back to
them
“It is my understanding that they
will review the proposal with the
board after which they will meet
again with council.”
The financial statements did raise
a few questions for council.
Councillor Jeff Howson in looking
at the purchase of a second vehicle
for Wheels Away wondered if the
organization, which has stated it is in
serious financial straights, might not
have been better to turn down a few
rides rather than add the cost of
another vehicle.
“Unless there’s something in the
financial statement I’m not seeing,
then I think it was a bad decision.”
Deputy-Reeve Murray Scott,
wondered about a letter received
from M.R. Jenkins, president of the
board of Midwestern Adult Day
Services asking that the township
continue the Wheels Away service.
The letter also stated that the agency
considered “the payment it makes to
Wheels Away an investment in
people who continue to contribute to
the community.”
Scott asked if this meant the
agency actually pays for the servies
we basically stayed in one place with
friends and didn’t notice anything.”
Doug Ellison of Ellison Tours and
Travel in Exeter said business began
to slow down in mid-February due to
the uncertain circumstances
surrounding the potential for war in
Iraq.
“At that time business could have
been down 50 per cent,” Ellison
said. “Right now, it’s down about 25
per cent compared to normal.”
Ellison said he has taken a few
cancellations, but for the most part
people who have booked trips are
going on them.
It’s a case of perception versus
reality, he said. People just have to
understand that viruses and terrorism
are a constant possibility now, just
like there’s always been a possibility
for bad weather and accidents.
Ellison said he handles the
bookings for school trips as well and
has found that 80 to 85 per cent are
still going to their planned
destinations, but some have chosen
to switch from the U.S. or Toronto to
Ottawa or Montreal.
The decision to cancel school trips
within the Avon Maitland District
School Board has been left up to
individual schools, teachers and
parents, said communications
manager Steve Howe.
“The board has not made any
plans to cancel trips,” he said,
adding that schools have been well-
briefed on the issues of SARS and
possible border delays that could
occur when travelling to the U.S.
“It would read that they make a
financial contribution, but I’m not
sure,” said Stewart.
He added that there is confusion
about the service. “Different people I
have talked to seem to be of the
notion that (Wheels Away) is our
service to continue or discontinue.
That’s not the case. Wheels
will presumably exist even
don’t decide to fund it.”
Stewart said council had
indicated that the service would not
carry on. “As far as that it’s up to
Wheels Away.”
Prior to ending the discussion,
Scott added that he found one
particularly interesting item in the
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Cherrey Bus Lines Inc. is one of
the motor coach services bussing
students to these destinations. Allan
Cherrey said there have been a
couple of recent cancellations to
Toronto due to concerns about
SARS.
“I don’t blame them,” he admitted.
“I understand why they want to take
precautions.”
Cherrey said the company’s
primary market is students and
seniors.
“Within the student market there
has been a cutback on U.S.
destinations,” he said.
Cherrey has also noticed there has
been an increase in the perception of
animosities from Americans towards
Canadians due to our lack of public
support of the war of Iraq. This
perception has caused people to
make plans not to travel to the
. U.S.
He said the senior market has been
particularly concerned about the
health risks related to SARS,
although it is a common concern
among varied sectors of clientele.
Ellison observed that due to the
inclement weather in the area and
the hard long winter, it would have
normally been a good year for the
travel industry with more people
wanting to head south to warmer
climates. He said business was doing
well until mid-February when the
threat of war in Iraq caused potential
travellers to think twice before
booking their vacations.
“It would have been one of our
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busiest winters if it weren’t for the
war,” he said.
Ellison said he expects things will
turn around again shortly. After Sept.
11, 2001, business took a turn for the
worst, but rallied back within a few
months and barring no more
incidents, the same should happen
with the current situation.
“I hope by May we’ll see a
turnaround with summer vacation
bookings,” he said.
Within his own staff, Ellison has
not had to lay anyone off, although
he has been cutting back their hours
from five-day work weeks to four.
Cherrey has also had to cut back
the hours of his staff.
“We run with a mixed schedule of
full-time and part-time staff,” he
said. “We haven’t had to cut back
any full-time people, but part-timers
are getting fewer hours.”
It is not just travel agents and
motor coach operators who are
seeing an effect from U.S. world
relations. In the trucking industry,
heightened security at the Canada-
U.S. border has meant up to four-
hour delays.
Jim Jutzi of Brussels Transport
Ltd. said he has seen such delays,
although recently it hasn’t been
much of a problem for his truckers.
“We transport livestock and you
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CAIB, Manager
can’t keep that waiting,” he said.
“We’ve had police escorts take us
through to the front of the lines.”
Since livestock is on board, long
delays could be harmful to the
animals, due to the fact that proper
ventilation and care is needed for
them to arrive safely.
Cherrey said the delays buses have
faced haven’t been that bad within
the past couple of weeks.
“When security is heightened,
they can stop the bus, unload the
passengers and check it. They have
the right to do that, but-we haven’t
been detained much.”
Cherrey said passengers are
warned of the documentation they
must bring with them in order to
cross the border.
Landed immigrants must have
their citizen’s card, while others
need to take their birth certificate
and photo identification.
A passport is not required to go to
the U.S., Mexico or the Caribbean,
but Cherrey said it makes it more
fluid and easier since the one
document contains everything you
need.
In spite of warnings to passengers,
Cherrey said there have been cases
where people do not bring the proper
identification and have been turned
around at the border.
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