The travel sector here is apprehensive of losing much of its business due to H1N1
The students of Kola Perumal Chetty Vaishnav Senior Secondary School, Arumbakkam, in the city wear masks and attend classes as a precaution to avoid getting infected by the Swine Flu. (Photo: DC/File)
Chennai: The travel sector here is apprehensive of losing much of its business as the H1N1 scare is looming large over its prospects. There could be a steep decline in outbound bookings if swine flu is not contained in the northern states of India, city tour operators opine.
Major players like STIC Travel have not dismissed the possibility of a negative buzz having a ripple effect. According to Subhash Goyal, president, Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO), state governments should adopt precautionary measures against the H1N1 virus and ensure that the travel sector is not affected in the coming days.
“Though there is no immediate threat to tourists visiting Tamil Nadu, we cannot rule out a scare among travellers in the weeks ahead. Already many from our state have deferred trips to northern parts of India,” says N. Sridhar, a tour operator.
Chennai has been receiving a steady trickle of visitors from international destinations like Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Singapore, which have direct air connectivity with the metro. Sources in the travel sector said the airlines operating from these destinations have not issued any travel advisory cautioning people against visiting TN.
Last week, five students and three teachers from London visited the city on a cultural exchange programme and undertook a trip to Mamallapuram and Golden Temple organised by the Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation, Padma Seshadri Bala Bhavan and TourBoss.
Meanwhile, the state owned enterprise – TTDC has been receiving enquiries, mostly from NRIs, on visiting the Navagraha temples in Kumbakonam. “There should be a national and international campaign to send a clear signal that India is safe to visit and that the Union government and states have taken adequate measures to rein in influenza,” says K. Ashok, a travel agent at Adyar.
Vaccine only for high-risk groups:
Health and family welfare minister, Dr C. Vijayabaskar, on Friday said H1N1 vaccine should be administered only to high-risk groups as per World Health Organization protocol.
“There is no need to administer H1N1 vaccine to all but only the high-risk groups like doctors and nurses treating the affected persons. We are following WHO protocol in providing the vaccine,” he told the Assembly in reply to DMK member and former minister I. Periyasami who questioned the government’s reluctance to administer H1N1 vaccine to all. However, the minister said the government has stocked up 20,000 vaccines.
As on date, 208 persons were found carrying symptoms of H1N1 in the state and 115 of them had been discharged after treatment. Though H1N1 was only a seasonal flu, the government was careful and taking all preventive measures, he said, adding that special wards had been created in government hospitals with 4 lakh Tamiflu, the antiviral medication to treat swine flu, being stocked. As many as 7,000 personal protection equipment were kept ready for health staff who attend to such patients, he said.
( Source : dc )
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