Tour operators say Zika could be bad for Olympics business

[rooster59]

Tour operators say Zika could be bad for Olympics business

STEPHEN WADE, AP Sports Writer


RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — If the Zika virus — or fear of it — keeps spreading, the head of a sports travel agency handling tour packages for the Rio de Janeiro Olympics fears for her business.

"It could be catastrophic," Jerri Roush, director of operations of Cartan Tours, told The Associated Press. "It's uncharted territory."

Hundreds of thousands of foreign visitors are expected for the Olympics in August, and there are concerns that some may stay away, frightened off by the mosquito-borne virus that is being linked to birth defects.

There has been a "very small decrease" in foreign tourists, the Brazilian tourist board said this week, though world health authorities have no restrictions on travel to the country.

"Zika already begins to damage Brazil tourism," read a full-page headline this week in Rio's O Globo newspaper.

Many of Cartan's clients are in Zika-affected areas in Latin America. It is the authorized Olympic ticket reseller for 36 countries including Mexico and much of Central and South America and the Caribbean — the heart of the outbreak.

Roush said there have been a few inquiries about cancellations, but Cartan managing director Jay Price declined to give specifics.

"We've had a lot of package buyers, some have called to question it," Roush said. "But I don't know that we've seen a drastic fall in our sales."

Roush said the Los Angeles-based agency expected to take between 1,500-2,000 visitors to the Olympics, providing hospitality packages that can include tickets, accommodations, ground transportation, and translators. She said flights were usually not included.

She said the company had a "no-cancellation" policy that was being reviewed.

Roush raised the question of liability if Zika harms the company's income. "Is Brazil going to refund us our money from this?" she asked.

Rio de Janeiro Mayor Eduardo Paes said on Friday, "We have to deal with (Zika), but there's a little overreaction at the moment."

IOC President Thomas Bach said on Friday, "There is no intention by (any) national Olympic committee to pull out from the Rio Olympic Games."

Another agency handling Olympic packages said if travelers are concerned, it's usually about security.

"I've never seen anything like this with a potential health crisis for a major event," said Anbritt Stengele, the president of Chicago-based Sports Traveler.

She said two clients had just delayed making their final bookings for packages of four and five people. Sports Traveler also has a no-refund policy.

Stengele said Olympic travelers were typically families — unlike for Brazil's male-dominated 2014 World Cup — who are sensitive to reports that visitors to Zika-infested areas might bring the virus home.

"Now it's becoming not just a Rio problem, but potentially a North American problem," she said.

She described Rio's ticket and lodging prices as "very expensive," which requires her company to make a large up-front investment.

She said four-star hotels were charging $800 to $1,500 per night, and at least one five-star in Barra da Tijuca — near the Olympic Park — was asking for $3,200 per night.

CoSport, which handles official Olympic ticket sales for the United States, Canada, Australia, Bulgaria, Britain, Sweden, Norway and Russia, did not answer email questions from AP. CoSport President Robert F. Long referred inquiries to the local Rio organizing committee, which has nothing to do with non-domestic ticket sales.

Its sister company Jet Set Sports, also located in Far Hills, New Jersey, declined to comment.

Airbnb, which is the official "alternative accommodation" sponsor for the Olympics, said pregnant women — and women trying to become pregnant — could get refunds on reservations. This also includes traveling family members.

Some airlines are giving refunds or letting pregnant women change their plans if they booked for areas dealing with Zika.

Leonardo Tristao, Airbnb country manager for Brazil, said they have 7,500 reservations for Rio during the Olympics. That was for a pool of 20,000 properties, which would accommodate about 80,000 people.

He said Brazilians topped the rental list, followed by Americans, British people, Australians and Argentines. Brazil headed the list because of the company's expanding presence in the country, Tristao said, and not because fewer foreigners than expected were coming.

Historically, the Olympics do attract fewer foreigners than expected, as they're put off by higher prices and crowds. Locals also have a history of leaving town during the two-week games.

Tristao said "people have contacted us to understand more about the virus" but he did not say if there were cancellations.

"So far, there is no travel ban to the region," Tristao said. "We need to be careful not to panic."

-- (c) Associated Press 2016-01-13

[Scott]

Troll post removed.

[bark]

If you are a tourist and you are pregnant; you don't go. Young families, and people over the age of 65 should not go.

Yes the tour operators in all countries will suffer.

[expat_4_life]

The fear and media reports will likely have a negative impact on tourism in Brazil and perhaps a large impact

on the upcoming Olympic Games.

The mainstream media is not acting very responsibly in reporting this story. They report possible links between

Zika and birth defects as facts, when actually there are very few known facts and not much evidence at all.

The virus was first identified in 1947 and is predominately found in Africa and Asia, it's never ever been linked to any birth defects.

Even the NYT says: (this sure does not sound like proof to me)

The possibility that the Zika virus causes microcephaly – unusually small heads and often damaged brains – emerged

only in October, when doctors in northern Brazil noticed a surge in babies with the condition.

It may be that other factors, such as simultaneous infection with other viruses, are contributing to the rise; investigators

may even find that Zika virus is not the main cause, although right now circumstantial evidence suggests that it is.

There are plenty of articles regarding the ongoing research to be found on the web, here's one.

Argentine and Brazilian doctors name larvicide as potential cause of microcephaly

http://www.gmwatch.org/news/latest-news/16706-argentine-and-brazilian-doctors-name-larvicide-as-potential-cause-of-microcephaly

Personally, I would not let fear of Zika keep me from visiting Brazil or the Olympics

Edited February 13, 2016 by expat_4_life

[wabothai]

Many businesses face problems, the risk of going into business.

[daveAustin]

I'd worry more about getting mugged than the virus!

[lucky11]

The fear and media reports will likely have a negative impact on tourism in Brazil and perhaps a large impact

on the upcoming Olympic Games.

The mainstream media is not acting very responsibly in reporting this story. They report possible links between

Zika and birth defects as facts, when actually there are very few known facts and not much evidence at all.

The virus was first identified in 1947 and is predominately found in Africa and Asia, it's never ever been linked to any birth defects.

Even the NYT says: (this sure does not sound like proof to me)

The possibility that the Zika virus causes microcephaly – unusually small heads and often damaged brains – emerged

only in October, when doctors in northern Brazil noticed a surge in babies with the condition.

It may be that other factors, such as simultaneous infection with other viruses, are contributing to the rise; investigators

may even find that Zika virus is not the main cause, although right now circumstantial evidence suggests that it is.

There are plenty of articles regarding the ongoing research to be found on the web, here's one.

Argentine and Brazilian doctors name larvicide as potential cause of microcephaly

http://www.gmwatch.org/news/latest-news/16706-argentine-and-brazilian-doctors-name-larvicide-as-potential-cause-of-microcephaly

Personally, I would not let fear of Zika keep me from visiting Brazil or the Olympics

It is not the Zika virus that is causing this sudden outbreak in microcephaly as this virus does not cause this condition.

It is one of three things, the one you mention (larvicide), the release of GM mosquitos (developed by a British company called Oxitec) or the TDaP vaccine, with my personal opinion being that it is the latter of the three.

The vaccine was made mandatory in Brazil just about a year ago (to be given to pregnant women) and the incident rate went up 30,000% over the normal rate about 9 months later - this astounding increase cannot be put down to coincidence!!

I view this vaccine as the modern day Thalidamide. For a start, of the 4,000 cases of children with microcephaly in Brazil, the Zika virus was found in only 6 of the cases. In Colombia they have 3,177 reported cases of microcephaly and the Zika virus hasn't been found in ANY of them. It is just another deflection of the huge vaccine industry into blaming something else other than their 'deadly' vaccines.

[Ulic]

No new news here. If you have an outbreak like Zika that very little is known about every

young woman who is pregnant, thinking of becoming pregnant, or even are of child bearing

age should be careful. Even men who could bring a Zika infection back to there wives and

girlfriends. There are far to many questions. It may not be Zika at all. No similar problems in

central Africa with Zika and microcephaly. No issues with other countries in South America

that have Zika with no increased numbers of microcephaly. All that said, better safe than

sorry. There is better coverage of the Olympics on the television any way. Not the same I

know but that is the truth.