HONOLULU -- The mysterious and deadly flu-like disease from Asia has started to affect the travel industry in Hawaii.
Regency Tours is a busy travel agency in Honolulu that sells tickets wholesale, package tours and individual tickets. Business is down sharply, according to company officials.
A stack of cancellations piled on the desk of Regency Tours President Savio Pang.
Travel agents are facing a double hit right now. People coming to Hawaii are canceling because of war fears.
"Since about a week ago our bookings dropped for coming here incoming to Hawaii," Pang said.
The disease could now be in the United States. Officials are checking a man in Los Angeles, who has symptoms of the disease.
The Asian-pneumonia scare is causing Hawaii travelers to cancel trips to Asia.
Regency Tours usually handles 40 to 50 trips a day. As of Monday that number dropped to 10.
"If they are traveling on business there's nothing they can do. They have to go. But, if they are retired and they can postpone a month or two months, by all means postpone,"
It should be noted health officials are not recommending travel restrictions, but are urging people to be careful.
"You don't want panic because it's counter productive. You absolutely want concern to make sure you don't miss something import as we go forward in this investigation,"
For now, Pang is counting the cancellations and reading Hong Kong newspapers online to get a sense of just how bad things might get.
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