Travel industry: Trump’s speech caused confusion

The travel-agency community and the European Union were blindsided by President Trump’s travel ban, which he announced during his Oval Office address on March 11.

The ban, scheduled to take effect at midnight on March 13, is directed at foreign nationals and not all travelers. It sounded as if all flights from Europe were canceled for one month, affecting passengers, cargo and trade.

However, hours later, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security clarified that the travel ban would apply only to the Schengen Area of Europe (an area where border checks have mostly been abolished since an agreement was signed in 1985, hence, not the United Kingdom) and would

not apply to American citizens overseas coming home, such as students studying abroad, as well as flights from England, Russia, Israel and Africa. Trade and cargo would not be banned.

Such a garbled message caused the worst travel panic to date in our office. Five international groups were immediately canceled for fear of not being able to fly home.

It was obvious to even the casual listener of the speech that it was written by someone other than the president and certainly not understood by him.

The fear-mongering and wall-building mentality is not worthy of the Oval Office.

There is little compassion or caring for the sick, the dying and the legitimate fears from a dreadful disease.

Our great need is for compassionate and moral leadership based upon science instead of voodoo fearfulness and retaliation.

God save us from the coronavirus — and this president.

– Doug Kostowski

president, Travel People,

Kendall