by Robin Amster
Last updated: 2:30 PM ET, Fri November 20, 2015
Photo courtesy of Thinkstock
ASTA member travel agents report that despite the recent terrorist attacks in Paris, they are seeing little in the way of negative impact on holiday travel, according to an association poll.
Two hundred agents who responded to the survey said the events in Paris haven't led to any significant impact on Americans' Thanksgiving travel plans.
One agent, in fact, said that incidents of terrorism around the world have become, "the new normal," adding that it was, "tragic, but folks are continuing to travel," the agent said.
Asked to rate the impact on Thanksgiving travel on a sliding scale of one to five, with one having the least impact, the agents rated it an average of 1.72. The rate was nearly the same for Hanukah, Christmas and New Year's.
Agents said the leading destination, either requested or already booked, is New York. Orlando came in second, followed by Las Vegas. Internationally, Cancun was the most popular destination followed by London, Rome and Paris.
"Travel agents open doors to the world while taking the stress and worry out of traveling, especially during the busy holiday travel season," said Zane Kerby, ASTA president and CEO. "Travel agents are only a cell phone call away when travelers find themselves stuck or stranded on the road. Agents are like a hotline to happier travel."
Consumers aren't nearly as concerned about traveling during this holiday season as many people might think, according to one agent polled.
Other agents polled had these comments:
• "Safety is the number one concern for my customers, no matter where they travel."
• "Most travelers are still planning to travel."
• "The incidents in France are having a minimal impact on our business at this time."
• "No adverse impact yet."
• "This can be the best time to travel when there is more security and awareness."
• "We have not experienced any cancellations or changes. We also are not getting much in the way of phone calls from concerned travelers."
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