Asia (and everyone else really) Wants YOU!
June 16th, 2003 Posted in GeneralI got a first-hand look at the risk perception issue this week as my wife said she was worried about traveling to Toronto in August because of the media-amplified SARS scare.
Meanwhile, CBS News reports that “The World Health Organization says that only 16 of the more than 7,800 people infected worldwide with SARS got the disease while aboard an airplane and that all of those cases were early in the outbreak before airlines began screening passengers for symptoms.”
Thailand’s government is so exasperated about the falloff in tourism that they’re now offering US$100,000 apiece to any foreigners who catch SARS while visiting Thailand. (Thailand has reported just two deaths from SARS.)
Even if you don’t want to risk your life to land $100K, you can still make out like a bandit. Singapore Airlines was offering deals last week that were sure money-losers for them, such as a $249 round trip to Singapore from Los Angeles. But for a still-low $529 you can now fly r/t to Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, or Indonesia from LA, San Fran, or New York. Similar deals are on offer from wherever they fly.
But it’s not just Asia that’s trying to woo you as a customer. In the past week I’ve seen Dallas to Belize for $349, Miami to Honduras for $239, and New York to Mexico for $189. This is supposed to be the high season for Europe, but even those routes are being discounted on a weekly basis–a sure sign that planes are not nearly full.
Combine one of these amazing fares with one of the World’s Cheapest Destinations and you’ve got the recipe for a vacation deal you’ll be bragging about for years.
