After the Asian Financial Crisis in 1997, no one could have anticipated that another potential economic disaster would follow in its wake 6 years later. This time, it comes in the form of a virus. Already SARS has forced the cancellation of flights and a drastic drop in tourist arrivals. The service sectors and the travel industry are the worst affected. If this continues, the economic consequences could be severe. The situation is compounded by the fallout from the Iraq war and the still sluggish US economy.

With the restriction of visas for travellers from SARS-affected countries such as Hong Kong, China and Taipei to Malaysia, this has essential set back the government's massive drive to promote tourism from these countries. In Singapore, restaurants are registering fewer and fewer customers, especially in areas which depend heavily on tourist dollars such as Boat Quay and Clarke Quay. Some are on the verge of closing down.

No one anticipated the financial crisis in 1997. Everyone thought the dot-com boom as the start of a brave new world. And just when the world is slowly recovering from the shattering technology crash, a bug arrives to create havoc. History unfolds in unexpected ways.