1.0 SARS Outbreak
1.1 Executive Summary
War and natural disasters are not the only factors that can have an adverse effect on international travel. Sometimes a virulent virus can create enough ripples of panic in tourists that travel plans are changed or canceled and countries which are heavily dependent on tourism suffer as people stop flying or stay closer to home. SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) is one such example of a virus that steered tourists away from traveling to certain regions of the world. Beginning in February 2003, SARS spread rapidly along the routes of worldwide air travel, placing any country with an international airport at risk. Not knowing all that there is to know about SARS has led to thousands of canceled travel bookings as many companies and individuals are heeding the advice to not travel to affected countries unless absolutely necessary (Overlook, 2003). Within weeks, SARS spread from Guangdong through Hong Kong to more than 30 countries across 6 continents (Min, 2005). Although this was a past event, it does not mean that there would not be another virus crisis in the future, thus this report is written to provide insights to the impact of SARS.
1.2 Scope of Report
This report will discuss how SARS had an impact on international travel and to Singapore in particular. It analyzes the effects of SARS on international travel management and will also discuss what changes were made by governments and international bodies to curb the spreading of SARS and its path to recovery. Finally this report will conclude by discussing possible future implications for Singapore, the region and international travel.
2.0 Impact on International Travel
2.1 Stricter Airline/Airport Policies
The World Health Organization advise ...