WARY Singaporeans are cancelling trips to avoid places hit by the flu, such as the United States, Japan and Hong Kong.
A check with 12 travel agencies found that most have had cancellations for ticket bookings and tours to these places in the past month.
At CTC Holidays for instance, 60 per cent of trips bound for the US and Europe next month have been cancelled.
Its senior vice-president of marketing and PR, Ms Alicia Seah, said: 'During June, a peak season, we usually have about 20 groups to the States and Europe. Now, we are down to five.'
Golden Travel, which organises tours for school groups, estimated that 16 out of 20 tours to the US and Hong Kong scheduled for this month and the next have been cancelled.
Said the chairman of the agency, Madam Lin Deng Li: 'We've probably lost around $500,000 from cancellations.'
With these figures, travel agencies are now bracing themselves for the worst.
Said CTC's Ms Seah: 'In all reality, business is slowing down and many travel agencies have embarked on cost-cutting measures.'
CTC would be sending staff for training or getting them to take unpaid leave, she added.
The managing director of Dorison Travel, Mr Jimmy Sim, added: 'I am prepared for more losses. There is a crisis looming and the H1N1 virus sure hasn't helped.'
The National Association of Travel Agents Singapore's chief executive officer, Mr Robert Khoo, said the industry has seen cancellations rise from the usual 2 per cent of bookings to 30 per cent since the end of April.
The Health Ministry advised Singaporeans to avoid non-essential travel to affected areas: Mexico, the United States and Canada.
Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan stressed that travellers should exercise common sense, and that those who were unwell should not travel.
'It's not fair, you are subjecting your fellow passengers to an unnecessary risk,' he said.
So far four patients in Singapore have been diagnosed with H1N1. Some Singaporeans are still going ahead with their travel plans.
According to Chan Brothers Travel, more than 100 customers have travelled to the US over the past three weeks. A group of more than 70 headed to Japan last night.
Singaporeans such as Mr Alwyn Tay, 27, believe that travelling is safe for now as long as precautions are taken.
The engineer had just returned from New York on Sunday after a 10-day trip with his sister.
He said: 'I was a bit worried but we did not want to forfeit our payment.
'After assessing the situation, we felt the flu wasn't fatal. We also bought masks and hand sanitisers.'
Ms C. L. Wong, an accountant, echoed his views. The 32-year-old mother of two will visit Osaka, Japan, next month with her husband and two children. She said: 'We visited the MOH website and so far, Japan's outbreaks are contained within high schools.
'We weighed the cost of cancelling the trip and the risk and we decided to go ahead.'
siwan@sph.com.sg
twong@sph.com.sg
Is it safe to travel?
Why have Japan and Britain not been classified as 'affected areas' even though there are many people infected by the new flu strain there? And can I travel to these countries?
The Health Ministry has listed only Mexico, the United States and Canada as affected areas, because there has been sustained community transmission of the new Influenza A (H1N1) strain in these countries, and the risk of a traveller catching it there is higher.
In Japan, however, the cases are still largely confined within the schools and have not spread to the community, the ministry said.
Similarly in Britain, confirmed cases can be traced back to known cases, and so the situation is contained.
The ministry is discouraging non-essential travel to the affected areas, and those who wish to visit other areas can go ahead.
But all travellers should still protect themselves by avoiding travel if they are unwell, and maintaining good hygiene practices such as regular hand washing and covering the nose and mouth with a tissue and handkerchief when sneezing or coughing.
How easily can I catch the new flu strain?
The new Influenza A (H1N1) strain is spread through droplets expelled by an infected person when he coughs, sneezes or speaks.
It can also be spread when a person touches a contaminated surface and then touches his nose or mouth.
The new flu strain is more infectious than the usual seasonal flu strains.
But still, only those who have close contact with an infected person - a significant amount of time spent within 2m of the patient, and without the protection of a mask - are likely to catch it.
In an airplane, those considered to be in close contact with a patient would include passengers seated in the same row, and those seated within three rows in front and behind the patient.
This article was first published in The Straits Times.
