STORY:
Caution Urged for Foreign Travel

More indications say Y2K may effect travel outside industrialized counties

For foreign travelers who are already paying premium prices to attend New Year's Eve events overseas, the news is not good. A US State Department says its study of potential computer Y2K risks in 161 foreign countries indicate half could face a medium to high risk of failures in key areas such as transportation. The Department's inspector general Jacquelyn Williams-Bridges reportedly says the greatest risks are in Eastern Europe and Russia.

On the other hand, a survey by a travel industry trade magazine indicates only 3-percent of the respondents say they won't be traveling because of potential Y2K related problems. The survey by Travel Weekly also said 90-percent of potential New Year's Eve partygoers haven't decided how or where they would party on December 31, 1999.

The Montreal-based International Civil Aviation Organization plans to post results of its Y2K compliance survey by September. The USA Today reports only 77 of 185 member countries have responded by mid-August. The Organization's survey will be one of the best indicators of what airports travelers and airlines should avoid.

Another survey done by Business Travel Coalition, a group represent business travelers indicates two-thirds of 50 companies surveyed are reportedly trending toward prohibiting foreign travel over the New Year's Eve holiday period.

Source: USA Today

DATE: 8/26/99

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