NEWS| Credit crunch could hit travel-related firms

While the credit crunch has affected hotel acquisitions and developments for some time now, it's starting to hinder access to short-term financing, which could affect the day-to-day operations of travel agencies, hotels and tour operators, analysts and economists warn.

Frozen short-term credit has some analysts and economists wondering if vulnerable travel-related companies could collapse in the weeks ahead, just as several of the nation’s largest financial institutions have failed since global credit markets went into a tailspin last month.