2008: Annis Horribilis for the Traveler
“Annis Horribilis”
Term used by Queen Elizabeth II in 1997 meaning “bad year,”
It was the year that saw the Princess of Wale’s death
and the fire at Windsor Castle.
This year has to go on record as the most unusual in the travel business. With currency rates swinging wildly and fuel costs driving up the cost of even going to the grocery store the traveler has been hit hard.
1. Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI)
This years marked the first time Canadians have had to get a passport to fly to the United States. The long lineups to get through security weren’t enough to placate the jittery Homeland Security minions so now the longest undefended border in the world just became defended. Or, in other words, what out for terrorists hiding behind moose!
2. Canadian Dollar on Steroids
The Canuck Buck rose to great heights against the U.S. dollar soaring to $1.12US one day. This was great for an ailing American travel industry, at least until it went down to 75 cents. Now it’s at 83 cents and Americans are beginning to shrug at getting passports to get at the Canadian deals.
3. Speculators Push Oil up to Over $150 Barrel
This was just plain greed and stupidity. Even the Saudis didn’t like this because they knew we “Gringos” would begin to realize that oil isn’t everything and begin to look toward the worst nightmare to the oil-rich countries: electric cars. However, it hurt the Canucks because the Americans had a low U.S. buck and high gas prices. I think they just spent more time in their backyards drinking last summer because Nova Scotia took an incredible hit. In other words few wanted to drive their RV’s and big cars into Canada.
4. Airline Industry Almost Collapses
High fuel prices and fewer travelers meant that companies like Zoom could not afford their airport fees and fuel bills. A Zoom 767 was confiscated at the Halifax Stanfield Airport signalling the end of the neat little airline and waking the world up to the reality that airlines, trucking forms, bus companies and countries (Iceland) were on the verge of bankruptcy.
5. Tourism Industry Not Sympathetic to Emergencies
During Christmas we saw a repeat of what has been happening for years – overbooking overcome by flight cancellations. Only this time is was North America-wide and tens of thousands of passengers had to bunk in at airports because there was no availability at over-booked hotels.
Travel is as essential to the world as security except that the passenger has been left out of that equation. Let’s see if 2009 is any better for the traveller.
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