AS unsettling as the Ebola outbreak has been, the practical effects on business travelers have been minor so far — assuming you sit far enough away from the alarmed reporting on the television screens in airport departure areas.
For example, the SARS scare in 2003 affected millions of travelers in Hong Kong, Singapore and around the world. But the effect on travel of the Ebola scare, even with the report of a second case in Dallas, has been far more limited. Travel has been affected to and from a few countries in West Africa, where international business travel is mostly centered on the oil and mining industries.
“You look at the scenario of things that potentially could happen and the potential impact on the travel industry and there is cause for worry,” said Michael W. McCormick, the executive director of the Global Business Travel Association. “But given the source of the disease and the destinations you’re talking about, from a business travel perspective, it’s been a relatively small impact so far.”
As Ebola fears multiply, the global medical emergency response company International SOS has opened to public access its proprietary website, which has detailed news and background information on the crisis.
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