China, Hong Kong, Singapore and Vietnam -- the nations most affected by the flu-like disease -- will lose 2.9 million jobs in the sector or 4.3 percent of the industry total, the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), a grouping of travel industry chiefs, said at the start of a two-day conference in the southern Portuguese seaside resort of Vilamoura.

'The impact will be massive', said Richard Miller, WTTC vice-president of research and economics, told reporters. 'The SARS crisis in China, Hong Kong, Singapore and Vietnam is perhaps the most dramatic prolonged shutdown of the industry on record', he added. 'The impact of SARS on these countries is five times the impact of the September 11 (2001) attacks in the United States.'

China, Hong Kong, Singapore and Vietnam -- the nations most affected by the flu-like disease -- will lose 2.9 million jobs in the sector or 4.3 percent of the industry total, the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), a grouping of travel industry chiefs, said at the start of a two-day conference in the southern Portuguese seaside resort of Vilamoura.

'The impact will be massive', said Richard Miller, WTTC vice-president of research and economics, told reporters. 'The SARS crisis in China, Hong Kong, Singapore and Vietnam is perhaps the most dramatic prolonged shutdown of the industry on record', he added. 'The impact of SARS on these countries is five times the impact of the September 11 (2001) attacks in the United States.'