Philadelphia Travel Agents See Little Impact From Bin Laden Death On Travel Abroad
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - The US State Department has issued a worldwide travel "alert" following the death of Osama Bin Laden, but local travel agents say there are no widespread cancellations yet.
The State Department stopped short of a travel "warning," instead advising Americans in volatile countries to avoid mass gatherings and limit travel outside their hotels.
That would not trigger refunds from most travel insurance policies, according to Pattie Mitchell, the local president of the Professionial Travel Agents of North America.
"Without an official US government warning, most insurance companies would not cover a cancellation," she says, "so the best bet is just to sit tight until we have everything together and just watch US government travel warnings and make decisions that way."
And Mitchell says that's what her clients appear to be doing.
"I think we're all waiting anxiously to see what unfolds, but with the news breaking less than 24 hours ago, it's still early to tell. My agency has not had to field any concerns," she told KYW Newsradio.
Mitchell adds that most travel involves some risk.
Reported by Pat Loeb, KYW Newsradio 1060
