The Houston hurricane: A travel agent’s view
HOUSTON – If you feel you’re having a tough day in the office, as all those young bankers from Lehman Bros call to cancel their trips because they’re no longer in a job, have some sympathy for your colleague in Texas, where Hurricane Ike recently paid an unwelcome visit.
In a letter to his clients, R. Alan Fox, chairman & CEO of Vacations To Go, explained the challenges the company is facing to carry on with business as usual.
He writes,
“Vacations To Go has reopened following Hurricane Ike’s rampage through Texas. Our hearts and prayers are with those who have lost loved ones, homes and businesses.
“There is a city-wide curfew in effect for the remainder of the week that will shorten our hours of operation to 7am-8pm. We will expand to regular hours next week.
“As I write this, many of our 500 employees are displaced from their homes and some are dealing with catastrophic damage. More than 75 percent of Houston is still without power and the damage to homes and buildings is horrendous.
“Our headquarters and reservations centre sustained only minor damage and we are fully operational, while the roof collapsed on the office building immediately next door and it appears to be a total loss.
“All of our web sites are up, though the 40-story facility that houses them is currently powered by generators and intermittent interruptions are still possible for the next few days, until electricity has been restored to that area.
“There is an Ike-sized effort underway to bring the city back to normal, including thousands of out-of-state energy workers who are already on the ground helping to restore power. Welcome to Texas!
“It’s hard to travel far with the street lights out and so many roads closed by fallen trees and power lines, but I can attest that west Houston is a beehive of activity, neighbours helping neighbours and chainsaws roaring.
There is much work to do but no doubt that the folks here are up to it.
We are thankful for the patience and understanding of all who tried to reach us while Vacations To Go and the city were shut down.
Indeed, we are just thankful to be here.
Sincerely,
R. Alan Fox
Ian Jarrett
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
Qatar Airways offers flexible payment options for European travellers
Airlines suspend Madagascar services following unrest and army revolt
Phocuswright reveals the world's largest travel markets in volume in 2025
Digital Travel Reporter of the Mirror totally seduced by HotelPlanner AI Travel Agent
Strike action set to cause travel chaos at Brussels airports