PROVIDENCE – With the coronavirus dominating headlines and news cycles, the prospect of traveling abroad seems to have lost its luster for some, but not all, according to a number of Rhode Island’s travel agencies.
The businesses say while they are fielding some cancellations, many travelers, except those who were planning to visit Italy and China, are still set on their destinations.
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“What we’re seeing largely is not so much people canceling but we are seeing some activity with people wanting to move to later in the year,” said Jeff Roy, executive vice president of worldwide operations for Collette Travel Services Inc., a Pawtucket-based travel company that specializes in international group tours.
The business has canceled six departures to China and won’t return service to the country until the fall. Twenty-six tours to Italy have been deferred to later in the year.
Travel to other areas hasn’t seen much impact, Roy said.
“The world is continuing to operate and continuing to be on sale,” he said.
According to the World Health Organization, there are 95,333 cases of COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, worldwide.
About 80,500 are in China, and more than 3,800 in Italy. In Rhode Island, test results on two people were positive for COVID-19, and eight others are being tested. Health officials say the two people who tested positive traveled to Italy on a school trip in mid-February.
The news has made some potential travelers nervous.
Agents at Donovan Travel in East Greenwich say they’ve received numerous calls from people who are seeking advice about their travel plans.
“It’s been mostly inquiries from people traveling to all destinations. We haven’t received a lot of cancellations,” said Matt Balsamo, an agent who’s been in the industry for 23 years. “We’ve been doing our best to help people and have been encouraging them not to make a rash decision until it gets closer to their travel time.”
Balsamo, who dealt with travel concerns after the terror attack of Sept. 11, 2001, and other flu epidemics, such as SARS, or severe acute respiratory syndrome, said one problem is the quarantine that is being imposed by companies for employees who travel out of the country.
“It’s hard for people, because they don’t have the time and insurance doesn’t cover it,” Balsamo said.
Balsamo said some vendors, such as cruise ships, are offering credits for people who want to cancel their trips.
“The vendors are being proactive with people who have immediate travel plans. That’s been helpful,” he added.
At Cruise Brothers in Warwick, Bob Newman expects to take a hit from coronavirus fears and precautions but predicts bookings will rebound.
“There’s a decline in new bookings, and there’s definitely an increase in cancellations,” Newman said. Travelers who’d been bound for Europe are backing out, and there are no cruises operating in or around China, he said, but pointed out that the travel industry has survived multiple health scares.
“Basically, I figure it will be a slowdown for a few months and my opinion is, around April or May things will start getting better,” he said. “I feel very confident of it based on past experiences.”
Angela Grandchamp, owner of Middletown Cruise and Travel in Portsmouth, has handled one cancellation on a cruise to Europe and one trip to Switzerland that was rescheduled for next year.
“We haven’t been too affected by it yet, but it’s definitely slowed things down,” said Grandchamp, who’s been in the business since 1994. “The phones haven’t been ringing as much. It’s been quieter. We have received a few calls from clients traveling in May wondering about cancellations, but that’s about it.”
So far, coronavirus fears haven’t resulted in a real impact, but more cancellations could change that.
“I’m trying to remain calm,” Grandchamp said, adding that she intends to travel to the Caribbean in May.
“I’m still going. So, we’re taking it one day at a time,” she said.
Elizabeth Graham is a PBN staff writer. She can be reached at Graham@PBN.com. Cassius Shuman is a PBN staff writer and researcher. He can be reached at Shuman@PBN.com.
