Travelers Make Few Changes in Reaction to Strikes

The nation’s travel industry, thrown into a severe downturn by the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, appeared to have been spared immediate new upheaval Sunday despite the retaliatory strikes by U.S. and British forces.

Officials of airlines such as American, Northwest and Southwest said they maintained their normal flight schedules during the day, and local hotels reported few cancellations in the hours after the strikes.

“We are still having a very busy Sunday,” said Southwest spokeswoman Linda Rutherford.

Still, officials throughout the industry acknowledged worries about what could happen in coming days if news events renew anxieties about business and vacation travel.

At Los Angeles International Airport, operations generally were in line with the slow pace of recent days because of security delays. Some passengers tried to brush aside safety concerns. “I was nervous Sept. 11 but not now,” said Helen Varash, 37, who was taking a business trip to Italy. “I don’t want to think about it.”

At many Southern California hotels, the story was similar. At the Beverly Hilton, manager Randy Boyd said the 579-room hotel had not seen “anything unusual so far,” but added: “If there was going to be cancellations of groups, it would not happen on a Sunday.”

At the Ritz Carlton Huntington Hotel and Spa in Pasadena, spokeswoman Deanne French said, “I don’t want to speculate for the future, but it has been amazing so far. We’re pretty much having business as usual this Sunday.”

In fact, some travel experts said some California resorts have fared comparatively well lately, as travelers in the state dropped plans for long-distance trips and decided to stay close to home.

“With a war going on and the State Department issuing warnings about travel, Americans are going to be very reluctant to travel overseas. They’ll do it only when they have to, for business, and international tourism will suffer greatly,” said John Poimiroo, former director of the California Division of Tourism.