DMCs foresee minimal harm to sector trade

MAJOR destination management companies and incentive programme organisers are not expecting major fallout from the terrorist attacks. However, some believe any business downturn would be due to a gloomy regional outlook and not the US events. Hong Kong-based Pacific World chairman Mr Jacques Arnoux said there would be little change if early cancellation levels were a reliable indicator. "It will be business as usual. If there is less business it will be because of the regional economic downturn and not because of the recent tragic events in the US," Mr Arnoux said. Sydney-based Mint Motivation managing director Mr Nigel Gaunt also said he thought the impact on intra-Asia Pacific business would not be as large as long-haul corporate event traffic. "The downturn in the region (for intra-regional travel) will be slight, most notably as a result of multinational corporations issuing travel bans," Mr Gaunt said. Kuala Lumpur based-Asian Overland Services (AOS) meeting, incentive, convention and exhibition manager Ms Michelle Hosie said AOS received cancellations in the days immediately after the attacks.