OSAKA -- Despite the pall of fear hanging over the travel industry as a result of the recent terrorist attacks in the United States and the likelihood that increased insurance premiums will result in the closure of several airlines, representatives of the international tourism industry have predicted a swift recovery from the global crisis.
Speaking at the Millennium Conference of the 14th General Assembly of the World Tourism Organization in Osaka on Sunday, the organization's Secretary General Francesco Frangialli reminded some 700 delegates from 118 countries that tourism has shown great resilience in the wake of previous catastrophes.
"Our experience over the last decade during the Gulf War and the war in Kosovo has proven that tourism is an industry that has great strength," said Frangialli.