Tour Companies Allow Travelers to Rebook Next Year

Tour operators have lost substantial business, in some cases more than half their normal amount, since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. But several report far fewer people canceling trips that begin in December or later. As of last week, many companies were holding their prices near normal but were allowing travelers to rebook trips without penalty into next year or later.

At Isram World of Travel, a New York-based tour operator that sent 38,000 people abroad last year--about half to the Middle East--about 60% of customers have canceled plans to travel in the next three months, Chief Executive A. Ady Gelber said last week. Of those, about two-thirds plan to reschedule, he said. Customers who canceled between Sept. 11 and Sept. 22 could get full refunds; since then, they have been allowed to reschedule trips for next year at the original price, but refunds have reverted to the normal policy (requiring about 60 days’ notice for a full refund, depending on the trip).

Gelber said he had not cut trip prices to draw more business because “price is not a factor that can overcome fear.�

At General Tours Inc., a company based in Keene, N.H., that sends about 30,000 people abroad each year (China is the top destination; the Mideast ranks fourth), about a third of customers canceled trips between Sept. 11 and the end of the month. But cancellations have dropped to 15% for this month, 11% for November and 3% for December, said President Robert Drumm. He said his company continues to operate tours on schedule, albeit with fewer customers. Like Isram, General Tours is allowing people who cancel to rebook next year at the same price.

Tour companies specializing in the Middle East or the Mediterranean have been especially hard hit. Pacha Tours, which sent about 5,500 people to Turkey last year, has experienced “at least� a 60% cancellation rate for departures through Oct. 15 and has furloughed about half its 21 employees, said Mazhar Pepemehmet, vice president and general manager of the company’s U.S. division in New York.

Among companies offering discounts or other incentives as of last week was Trafalgar Tours USA, which, in partnership with American and Continental airlines, was letting a companion fly for half fare on “Winter Break� packages to Europe booked by Oct. 31.

Some Tourist Sites Reopen, Revise Rules

Some U.S. tourist sites that were closed after Sept. 11 have reopened; others have relaxed restrictions. Some updates as of the Travel section’s deadline Tuesday:

* New York: The Empire State Building’s 86th floor observation deck was reopened for visitors Sept. 29 and 30, plus Oct. 6, today and Monday; it remained closed weekdays. It was unclear whether it would continue to be open weekends. The National Museum of the American Indian at the George Gustav Heye Center, 1 Bowling Green, reopened Monday. The Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island and Castle Clinton in Battery Park remained closed to visitors, as did Federal Hall National Memorial at 26 Wall St.

* Washington, D.C.: Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport was to have reopened Thursday with limited service and stepped-up security. Tours of the White House were still suspended.

* San Francisco: The Golden Gate Bridge reopened Monday to pedestrians and bicyclists. However, the walkway was open sunrise to sunset only. The Vista Point parking lot was reopened.

* Hoover Dam: The structure in Boulder City, Nev., was reopened to passenger cars with small boat trailers and to pickup trucks with bed-mounted campers, but RVs and motor homes were still banned. Tours were still suspended.

* San Diego: The Wings and Wheels event in Coronado on Oct. 19 has been canceled. A land parade 3 to 5 p.m. Oct. 19 will replace the canceled Sea-n-Air Parade. Tel. (619) 858-1545, https://www.fleetweeksan diego.org.

Visitors Cautioned About Dengue Fever on Maui

A dengue fever outbreak on the east coast of Maui has triggered a warning from the Hawaii Department of Health for visitors and residents to guard against mosquito bites.

As of Tuesday, 19 cases of dengue fever were confirmed in residents of East Maui from Nahiku to Hamoa, a nine-mile-long region that includes the popular Hana area, the health department said. More than 100 people are thought to have contracted the disease, which is spread by the bite of an infected mosquito. Symptoms include high fever, joint and muscle pain, headaches and a rash. Recovery can take up to a month. A rarer form, dengue hemorrhagic fever, can be fatal; none of the confirmed Maui cases were of this type.

Precautions include wearing long sleeves and pants and using insect repellent when outdoors.

For updates, see the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Web site, https://www.cdc.gov.

-- Kathleen Doheny

Traveler’s Note ...

The U.S. State Department, tel. (202) 647-5225, https://www.travel.state.gov, in an announcement last week, advised U.S. citizens to “maintain a high level of vigilance� in Italy, citing information that “symbols of American capitalism� may be targeted for attacks there.

-- Compiled by Jane Engle