The U.S. travel industry on Monday encouraged foreign travelers to visit the country, despite the ongoing A/H1N1 flu outbreak.

"There is a reason for concern, but not panic," said Roger Dow, president and chief executive officer of the U.S. Travel Association, at its 2009 International Pow Wow in Miami, Florida.

The three-day event is the U.S. travel industry's premier international marketplace and the largest generator of visit to the country.

More than 1,000 travel organizations across the United States representing all industry category components, and more than 1,500 buyers from over 70 countries are conducting business negotiations at the Pow Wow, which was expected to generate 3 billion U.S. dollars for the industry, according to the U.S. Travel Association.

Apart from the economic downturn, the U.S. travel industry is suffering from the new type of flu virus that has sickened 5,123 and killed 6 in the country. The disease has also triggered high alert across the world.

"We must address the situation with measured, pragmatic responses so as not to cause panic and negative consequences to the economy if health risks are not imminent," said Dow in a statement released before the Pow Wow.

"We stand ready to assist the U.S. government and health experts in any way necessary to communicate critical information to travelers," he added.

In a review of the past outbreaks' economic impact on the economy, the U.S. Travel Association cited the SARS epidemic in Asia, which resulted in a 20-billion-U.S.-dollar cost to the region and a 50-percent drop in international arrivals to the Southeast Asian countries.

Although the industry reports have not shown a significant negative impact of the flu on travel to the United States, commerce department officials warned at a Senate hearing last week that the illness had deepened the painful impact of the international economic meltdown.

China, as one of the biggest emerging market to the U.S. travel industry recently, remained as a priority.

Helen Marano, director of the U.S. Commerce Department's Office of Travel and Tourism Industries, made a statement through Xinhua that she hopes Chinese can be aware the United States is not overwhelmed by A/H1N1 flu, and is anxious to welcome them.

She said that the flu just happened to be a new string but is less serious than normal flu, but the United States is acting strongly and straightforwardly to address the issue.

"We don't want to see Chinese visitors and tour operators prohibited themselves from coming," she said. "They should know we continue to welcome them."

The industry operators also shared the concerns.

Tony Liu, a marketing director who represents the Chicago and Illinois Tourism Office in China, told Xinhua that they have acknowledged foreign visitors' concerns about the flu, especially those in China who have yet recovered from the SARS, and started initiatives such as inspection tours and forums to prove the state is still a safe place to go.