With security concerns taking a bite out of the travel business since the US war on terrorism took shape earlier this week, local travel agencies have decided to fight back by luring US and Europe-bound customers with up to 50 percent cheaper air fares.
"We found that more and more travel agencies are offering bargain flight packages since the US-led attacks were carried out earlier this week," said Lai Hsiu-yuan (
Topping the list of ultra-cheap fares -- about 50 percent less than one month ago -- are a 12-day package to Los Angeles at NT$12,800, a nine-day tour of San Francisco for NT$13,800 and eight-days in Rome priced as low as NT$21,900, Lai said. The first two US bound trips are on China Airlines Co (
And now for the fine print: non-refundable, non-rerouteable and require full payment seven days in advance.
Lai explained, agencies are targeting leisure travelers not business travelers. "Businessmen don't have the option of choosing where to do business, but tourists have flexibility to change their travel plans to places other than the US and Europe."
However, another travel industry insider said discounts are not a useful marketing tool right now.
"To recover public confidence in flight security is much more important than cutting prices," said Teddy Jao (饒炳銓), international tour manager at South East Travel service Corp Ltd (東南旅行社).
Fear has sent sign-ups for our US-bound tours over the last month down 80 percent and down 40 percent for European tours as well, Jao said.
"Most customers are not interested in going to Western countries at all, so we don't have the chance to promote discount offers."
An official from a German-based flight carrier agreed that most passengers put security as their top concern. "We got a lot of calls from customers asking if we will reroute flights to avoid the Middle-East region," said Michelle Wang (
The company has altered all 10 weekly Europe-bound flights, which originally flew over the Middle East, toward north Asia, she said.
The public's uneasiness about flying has had a dramatic impact on the travel industry, according to Teng Ming-chang (
The association is advising travel agencies to refocus on local and East Asia markets such as China, Japan, New Zealand and Australia.
"We have to come up with other breadwinners to balance the losses," Teng said.
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