Travel industry recovering from 9-11

By Greg Miller
STAR STAFF
gmiller@starhq.com

   Six months after the Sept. 11 terrorist attack on America, the nation's travel industry is still in the process of recovering.
   Prior to 9-11, the industry was "very busy," according to Mike Peters, owner of Uniglobe Empire Travel. "Business was strong up to that point," he said.
   On hearing of the 9-11 tragedies, Peters was "horrified just to see that type of activity taking place in our country, shocked that it could occur.
   "From a personal standpoint, all the targets that they hit were places that I had previously visited or worked at some point in my career. Four of the passengers on the flight had been my co-workers at Raytheon. I knew one of the gentlemen on the plane that flew into the World Trade Center.
   "I worked for Raytheon, a defense contractor, and our headquarters was located in Boston, Mass. I flew in and out of Boston's Logan Airport many, many times. Raytheon occupied the top floors of the World Trade Center. I've sat in meetings there. To see an airplane flying into the World Trade Center, you just can't fathom that.
   "In Washington, D.C., our corporate offices were two blocks away from the Pentagon. I lobbied on Capitol Hill for 10 years, and I would spend two or three days a week in that office complex. So that flight had to come straight across that building into the Pentagon. From a personal standpoint, you're thinking of everyone that you know and associated with that's going through that and you feel a tremendous amount of sorrow for them."
   People, Peters said, need to overcome the psychological and economic impact that the terrorist attack had on travel.
   He said although the travel industry is now at about 70 percent of its pre 9-11 level, folks are still afraid to fly. "The biggest thing that comes into play is the security aspect," Peters said. "People have to feel secure when they travel."
   Peters mentioned the increased airport security. "If you're traveling leisurely, it's not as big a hassle as if you're traveling for business. If you're traveling for business, and you have to arrive at the airport 1-1/2-2 hours ahead of time, that certainly impacts the way you view air travel. We've had the biggest fall off with the business traveler."
   During October and November, "Travel came to a standstill. In December, we had a good month." Travel picked up again in January and February, Peters said.
   Some weaker airlines and cruise lines went out of business, shrinking the available capacity for travelers. Prices were reduced, in an effort to entice people to travel again.
   Peters says President Bush has handled the situation with the travel industry very well. "He has really been an advocate for travel," Peters said. "He fully understands how important it is to keep the airlines, the cruise lines and the travel industry healthy. He's been a great point man out there trying to get the American people back on the roads again. I give him a lot of credit with how he's handled the crisis in the Middle East and the way he's been a strong advocate of trying to get travel going again. He's done a remarkable job, and I'm very happy with his efforts."
   On a long-term basis, Peters believes the travel industry will rebound. "We see that there's going to be growth in travel. I'm very optimistic about the growth. We have 80 people going on a cruise ship in March. That's a good number. It's the largest number from anywhere in the country that will be on that cruise ship."
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