Tragedy, Travel and Tourism

Diversification and patience are the keys to weathering today's turbulent hospitality market.

Without a doubt, the Sept. 11 tragedy has rocked the travel and tourism industry. In addition to massive airline layoffs, restaurants and hotels that depend on tourism dollars have suffered. According to the National Restaurant Association about 103,000 restaurant jobs were shed in September following the attacks, the largest drop in history. It stands to reason then, that for those that supply products to the hospitality industry, business is not quite the same.