Singapore, July 04: Asia's SARS-battered travel industry should recover this year as the virus is contained and cheap plane ticket prices lure back travellers, industry players have said. Passenger volumes are on their way to returning to normal levels, with the rebound led by travel within the region, according to abacus, Asia's largest air ticketing and reservation company.

“The SARS recovery has started, is established and we should return to pre-SARS travel levels in July as the virus is contained and promotions attract travellers," Abacus chief executive Don Birch said in a statement. "I say this because going into 2003, we had anticipated the possibility of war in Iraq. We also know from experience that in troubled times, Asians still travel but prefer to stay close to home.
"Fortunately, the numbers are reflecting that as bookings are returning to 2002 levels... We're optimistic we will see a full recovery this year."
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) agreed that passenger confidence was returning, but cautioned this did not mean airlines would immediately reap profits as longer-term problems still plagued the industry.
“An increase in traffic is not a return to profitability. Major challenges remain," said IATA director general and chief executive Giovanni Bisignani in a statement released by the group's Asia-Pacific office here. Bureau Report