This week's warning that travelers stay out of Toronto because of an outbreak there of the SARS virus concerns local tour providers.

The World Health Organization is urging travelers to avoid Toronto, Beijing and Hong Kong because of severe acute respiratory syndrome. SARS has affected 140 people in the Toronto area, resulting in 16 deaths as of Wednesday, according to the Associated Press.

"This is a big season for school trips," said Ben Cricks, president of Premiere Tour and Travel in Sharon. "What we're finding is any trip that was scheduled (to Toronto) from here forward they're canceling and generally rescheduling to another destination."

Cricks said field trips are important for reasons other than the destinations, so the trips aren't being canceled.

Premiere runs about 10 to 15 trips to Toronto each year, Cricks said. In the summer and fall there are more individual tours, which Cricks said may not do as well if the SARS scare continues.

"At this time it would be a little knee-jerk to cancel the trips entirely. We would never put anybody in harm's way," Cricks said. Just a few weeks ago, he said, people were afraid to travel to New York and Washington, D.C., because of the war in Iraq, but people have overcome that fear. He said the situation in Toronto will probably be similar.

No one was available to speak on the record at Greenville-based Anderson Coach & Travel. Instead, Anderson issued a news release, stating the "official company position" on the SARS outbreak:

"Anderson Coach & Travel has been closely monitoring the recent SARS outbreak affecting Canada and has made a proactive decision to cancel retail tours to the Toronto marketplace for the immediate future.

"As always, Anderson Coach & Travel has the best interest and safety of our customers in mind. We hope this unfortunate situation will end soon as travel is America's greatest freedom."

The company, which is headquartered in Sugar Grove Township, is continuing to offer tours to other destinations, including New York City, Washington, D.C., and Michigan.

Mary Wellman, co-manager of Plaza Travel in Hermitage, said the company has limited trips to Toronto and SARS hasn't affected business at all.

People tend to go to Toronto more in the summer to see shows, Ms. Wellman said. She said it's too soon to tell if the SARS outbreak will affect those theater trips because they're not usually booked far in advance.