Business and leisure travel in India shows no signs of being adversely hit by H1N1. Business houses say that although they are being careful, they have no plans as yet to curtail their travel. Travel agents are tending to agree with this view by pointing out that although customers are being wary; they are not canceling their travel plans.
However, some are warning that it may be too early to gauge the effects of the H1N1 scare. Thomas Cook’s Managing Director, Madhavan Menon said, “I think its early days on the domestic front as we have seen panic in Pune and Mumbai, I don’t think it’s going to have too much of an impact because this is not the season, there are no holidays this time, families don’t necessarily travel at this time. I think the impact on the domestic front is going to be minimum.”
Airline executives and medical experts are however warning that the lack of any system of checking passengers for the virus at domestic airports could still be a problem. Busy terminals and confined aircraft are still places where the chances of contracting H1N1 from someone infected are high.
The travel industry will be keeping a careful eye on the upcoming festive season and are hoping that effects will be minimal on an industry already trying to recover from the global slow down.
WHAT TO TAKE AWAY FROM THIS ARTICLE:
- Thomas Cook's Managing Director, Madhavan Menon said, “I think its early days on the domestic front as we have seen panic in Pune and Mumbai, I don't think it's going to have too much of an impact because this is not the season, there are no holidays this time, families don't necessarily travel at this time.
- The travel industry will be keeping a careful eye on the upcoming festive season and are hoping that effects will be minimal on an industry already trying to recover from the global slow down.
- Airline executives and medical experts are however warning that the lack of any system of checking passengers for the virus at domestic airports could still be a problem.
