By Jennifer R Jones | Posted on April 20, 2010 1:30 PM
The Eruption Of A Volcano In Iceland Strands Tourists In New York City, Many Hotels Are Offering Discounts To Stranded Travelers With Thousands Of Flights Disrupted
Travelers Stranded In New York City
The eruption of the volcano in Iceland has done more than provide exciting color photos of fire and lava, and disrupt flights across the United States and Europe: It has affected tourism in New York.
Because flights have been canceled to and from Europe, a number of tourists are stranded in the city. Some travel agencies are covering the cost of hotel stays for stranded travelers; while other tourists are footing the cost of the extra days of their enforced vacation themselves.
Hotels Offering Discounts To Tourists
City officials announced last Friday that 30 New York hotels would offer 15 percent discounts to stranded tourists; they include the Skyline and the Comfort Inn near Penn Station. Other hotels are offering even higher discounts.
The travelers who are stuck here are helping somewhat to offset the missed revenue of Europeans who booked hotel stays and haven’t been able to fly in. The travelers who are here, of course, also have to eat and amuse themselves somehow, so restaurants, shops, movie theaters, and shops are liable to feel a bump in revenue as well.
Thousands Of Flights Disrupted
After the ban on airspace is lifted, it could take up to six days to resume flights to and from Europe. Thousands of flights have already been disrupted. The eruption of the volcano Eyjafjallajokull (don't worry; no one else can pronounce it ether) has caused massive disruptions not just for vacationers but for package and mail deliveries as well. The volcano erupted twice this month; hundreds of people were also forced to evacuate because of rising floodwaters.
