With the airports closed last week, conventions were cancelled, as were hundreds of hotel reservations. "The immediate impact was very bad," Art Canter, executive director of the Massachusetts Lodging Association, tells GlobeSt.com, noting that the impact is still being felt. "People are canceling conventions, meetings and flights are already backed up." Canter notes that one hotel he had just spoken to tells him that they are going to lose a significant amount of business. "We were already dealing with an economic slowdown," he points out. "Now some airlines are cutting 50% of their flights and others are cutting 20 to 25% of their flights. We are envisioning that will be a significant drop in hotel business. I think people are going to be very cautious about travelling. Many people are afraid."

A number of shows and conventions were cancelled at the Hines Convention Center here but Andy Antrobus, spokesperson for the Massachusetts Convention Center Authority is quick to emphasize that the concerns were less about security and more about the fact that people simply couldn't get here. "We haven't heard a negative word yet for things that have been booked," he tells GlobeSt.com. "We are in the process of confirming future bookings." Antrobus also says that the proposed convention center currently going up here in South Boston will not be affected by last Tuesday's terror attacks. "The steel is going up on both wings," he says. "The project is moving forward." Pat Moscaritolo, executive director of the Greater Boston Convention and Vistors Bureau, agrees that the planned center will probably not be impacted by the recent cancellations because it is booking so far into the future. "The Center is not opening until 2004," he tells GlobeSt.com. "They are selling into 2007, even 2010. We're talking a long-term view here. Hopefully, the industry will recover by then."

Antrobus points out that while leisure travelers are less likely to pursue their travels, businesspeople have no choice. "Things have changed now but I don't know how far back we can turn the clock," he says. "Travel and staying in other cities is critical for commerce." But Antrobus acknowledges, "Businesses like ours will feel a significant hit if people do remain captive psychologically."