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JUNE 2020 | Personal UPDATE
ARTICLE
Tim Tyler Tour Coordinator, Koinonia House
IS TRAVEL TOO RISKY?
A
s the tour coordinator for K-House, I have a keen interest in international travel. Right now, the obvious question everyone is trying to answer, including myself, is whether it’s safe to travel when there are regions still dealing with coronavirus. I never want to steer people into harm’s way, so that question is especially important. To find an answer, I’ve been constantly monitoring government sites, news releases, selected websites and checking with our contact in Israel. There may be some things you have not heard yet, so I’d like to pass them on to you. First, allow me to paint a picture of the situation as of mid-May. The Landscape Today A leader in the travel industry, Paul Metselaar, describes what’s happening today like this: “I left my law practice 36 years ago to take over a small, familyowned travel agency and since then have experienced multiple crises, including two Gulf Wars, the SARS pandemic, 9/11 and the global financial crisis. But the Covid-19 pandemic we are all now struggling with is the most devastating event to ever befall the travel industry.”1 The Numbers According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the trend for confirmed COVID-19 infections in the U.S. shows the curve is heading 1 https://www.travelweekly.com/Articles/The-future-of-travel-An-optimist-view, 5-20-2020. VOLUME 30 | ISSUE 06 |
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