Until the Cloud Came, Travelers Liked Terror-Free Scandinavia

Scandinavia had been the last hope for American tourists who wanted to see Western Europe but were afraid of terrorism. And the Soviet Union was showing up on many itineraries because it seemed fortified against the shadowy extremists who shoot, bomb and threaten Americans.

But now that the invisible cloud from the damaged Soviet reactor has left higher radiation levels in the Scandinavian countries and Finland, travel agents report a new wave of cancellations and telephone inquiries about the safety of traveling to those regions.

Charles Bressler, president of Foreign Travel Inc. in suburban Maryland near Washington, said two sisters planning to visit Copenhagen heard the news of the reactor accident and immediately changed their minds. Bressler quotes one as saying, “Well, Charles, we tried to go to Europe, but now we’re thinking of going to Alaska.” Bressler said his April bookings to Europe dropped 50%, compared with the same time last year.

Similarly, in Larchmont, N.Y., Barbara Lieberman, an agent at Quartet Travel, said reservations were canceled by a couple who had been unfazed by recent terrorism in Europe but drew the line on nuclear contamination.

Black Cat’s Path

Noting Scandinavia’s damaged opportunity to attract people who were afraid to visit its neighbors to the south, Antonio Adelfio, president of Bethesda Travel Center, said, “Maybe a black cat crossed in front of Europe this year.”

In efforts to help the tourism industry recover from the effects of the accident, Adelfio and others said they are booking more trips to such places as New Zealand, Australia, the Far East and the Caribbean--as well as domestic travel within the United States.

Gloria Bohan, president of Omega World Travel in suburban Virginia, said her agency has scheduled many trips to the Soviet Union, calling it the “one real positive area that we had.” In the wake of the reactor disaster, Bohan said, her 190 agents have once again been placed in the position of having to tell potential travelers “to be cautious.”

Bohan said the accident is the latest in a series of events--mostly connected with terrorism--that have transformed agents into “consultants about what’s happening to the world.”

At the State Department, officials are answering endless questions from travelers about safety.

Because of terrorist threats against U.S. citizens, the State Department has cautioned Americans to be careful about the countries they choose to visit.

Now, one official said, the nuclear accident further reduces the number of optional regions worldwide for fearful American travelers. “Pretty soon, people are going to be packing lunches and going to Rehoboth,” said the official, referring to a Delaware beach that is a three-hour drive from Washington.

Times staff writer Robert E. Dallos contributed to this story from New York.