FED: Travel agents to experience business lull because of Games

AAP General News (Australia)
08-22-2000
FED: Travel agents to experience business lull because of Games

BRISBANE, Aug 22 AAP - Australian travel agents will have to weather a serious lull
in their domestic business in the next couple of months because of the Sydney Olympics.

Australian Federation of Travel Agents chairman Ian Carew-Reid said today the Olympics
were "distracting" people from their normal holiday patterns.

He said Australians were staying home and waiting to travel after the Games.

"There's no doubt the Olympics has reduced the amount of travel bookings," Mr Carew-Reid said.

"September school holidays are normally huge.

"Travel hasn't stopped altogether but it certainly has had a dampening effect."

Mr Carew-Reid said there was currently a rush in domestic corporate bookings with businesses
keen to finalise travel before the Games because of the perceived difficulty of getting
into Sydney.

It was initially thought that the Olympics would produce an extra 3,500 aircraft movements
at Sydney Airport in September and October.

However, this figure has been slashed to 2,300 - 250,000 less passengers than the 700,000
originally predicted.

This has been reflected in reports that official Olympic travel agency Traveland has
had to slash its prices on multi-share accommodation in Sydney during the Games period
by 50 per cent.

Mr Carew-Reid said corporate as well as retail business, which has slowed this month,
was expected to "grind to a halt" during the Olympics.

"The Olympics are terrific for the country but for the travel agents largely relying
on the local market it certainly hasn't helped," he said.

AAP ch/sc/cd

KEYWORD: OLY AGENTS

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