Businesses feeling post-attack slowdown

Lolita Harper

NEWPORT-MESA -- Businesses in the area -- especially ones that deal

directly with John Wayne Airport -- are seeing tough times after the

Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

With the airport eerily empty, hotels, cab companies and even the

city’s visitors bureau are looking for ways to boost business.

Hotels and taxi companies are reporting a 15% to 20% loss in business

since the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, citing

Americans’ apprehension to travel as the main reason for the fall.

“Anyone affiliated with the travel business was hit hard and it will

take a while to get back up to speed,” said Tim Conlon of California

Yellow Cab.

In the week immediately after the attacks, in which more than 6,000

people are either missing or killed, Costa Mesa Yellow Cab -- owned by

1-800-MY TAXI -- lost about 50% of its business, spokesman Bill Gray

said.

Business has started to climb the past few days, but Gray expects to

operate at a loss of 20% until John Wayne and other airports get an

efficient security system, he said.

Until that time, Costa Mesa Yellow Cab will get creative with its

marketing, Gray said. The company is offering special rates to both John

Wayne Airport and Los Angeles International, touting the convenience of

letting someone else drive and deal with security checkpoints.

“We can drop people off right at the curb, where others may have to

park in a sub lot and take a shuttle over,” Gray said.

California Yellow Cab has focused much of its attention on medical

transportation for outpatients and shuttle service for service stations

at car dealerships. Since both business and pleasure travel is down, the

company must boost business where a ridership still exists, Conlon said.

Along much the same lines, both the Costa Mesa and Newport Beach

conference and visitor bureaus are focusing on business within driving

range. Costa Mesa Visitor and Conference Bureau launched a new

advertising campaign, touting the city as the ultimate meeting

headquarter to drive to.

With a location nearly equidistant from Los Angeles, the Inland Empire

and San Diego, Costa Mesa is the perfect meeting place to conduct

Southern California business, said visitors bureau spokeswoman Diane

Prichett.

“It’s just a reminder that we have a central location,” Prichett said.

“Maybe we can drive up some business that way.”

John Cassady, executive director for the Newport Beach Conference and

Visitors Bureau, said in the initial days after the attacks, business was

a wash at Newport Beach hotels because, while there was no business

coming in, there were also customers who could not fly out, either.

As people started to go home, however, businesses noticed about a 20%

decline, he said.

In general, Cassady added, his city has the advantage because of its

oceanfront location.

Cassady said the bureau will focus on regional markets while still

keeping a commitment to national and international markets, Cassady said.

The bureau has already committed to trade shows in Chicago and London,

he said.

The Four Seasons Hotel in Newport Beach escaped the drop in business,

marketing director Carrie Olson said.

The hotel’s technological capabilities have also allowed it to retain

customers by offering video conferencing to East Coast businesses, Olson

said.

* Lolita Harper covers Costa Mesa. She may be reached at (949)

574-4275 or by e-mail at o7 lolita.harper@latimes.comf7 .