SARS-affected travel agencies ask JCP for help

In Hyogo Prefecture, small travel agencies suffering a severe blow by SARS and the Iraq War visited the Japanese Communist Party Hyogo Prefectural Committee on May 24 to seek JCP cooperation in achieving government measures to help them rebuild their businesses.

JCP Osawa Tatsumi, House of Councilors member from the Hyogo constituency, listened to the earnest petitions made by the Hyogo Prefectural Cooperative Union of Travel Agencies.

Explaining the situation in the travel industry damaged by the prolonged economic recession, the Iraq War, and the SARS epidemic, the travel agents requested that the JCP urge the government and the prefecture to cover cancellation charges of hotel and air and to implement an emergency loan system for the small travel agencies as was done in the 1994 Great Hanshin Earthquake.

Osawa promised she will take their requests to the central and prefectural governments. (end)