Tsunami:
The travel and tourism industry unites in rebuilding efforts
The sudden and violent devastation wrought by the Indian Ocean tsunami has impacted on the lives of millions throughout the world. This special report looks at the steps that are being taken to ensure that tourism recovers at the earliest opportunity and the role of the travel industry in achieving this.
 With a death toll that has continued to rise since the wave struck on December 26th, no one can dispute the vast human cost of the tragedy. Yet the long term economic impact is less certain, with many key organisations suggesting that prompt action now by the travel and tourism industry will play a vital role in the region's recovery.
Many of the areas affected directly by the tsunami, such as Sri Lanka, the Maldives and parts of Thailand, rely on tourism for their livelihoods and, as they begin the long rebuilding process, are calling on the global tourism community to support their efforts.
Udaya Nanayakkara, Chair of the Sri Lanka Tourist Board, applauded her country's remarkable resilience and determination: "Tourism is key to that rebuilding process. A healthy tourist industry will provide jobs and, in turn, the dignity that will put the world-famous smile back on Sri Lankan faces."
Leading the drive to encourage tourists to return to the area is PATA, the Pacific Asia Travel Association. A spokesperson for the organisation announced: "Most properties and attractions in the Indian Ocean destinations have sustained little or no damage as a result of the December 26th quake and tsunami. Of PATA's 45 Asia Pacific member countries, the coastal areas of only eight were affected. Of those eight destinations, only the Maldives, Sri Lanka and Thailand suffered significant travel sector losses - in very specific areas."
PATA has compiled a comprehensive and detailed bulletin, providing maps of the affected areas, facts about the recovery process, and highlighting the resorts that are ready to welcome back visitors. The special bulletin, containing video clips, news reports and contact details of key organisations, is available on the PATA website.
PATA's message to the travel trade is clear - tourism can help to speed up the recovery process. In a statement released this week, the organisation stated: "If tourists really care about affected destinations, they should go and visit. Their enjoyment of a destination will be tangible support for its recovery.
"What's critical now is that you - and all travellers - have an accurate picture of the recovery process, so you can make informed decisions about visiting the affected regions. These communities are not helped by 'broad brush' travel advisories, which unfairly declare a whole country unsafe, or 'tabloid journalism' reports dwelling on the negative aspects of the tragedy with images of death and destruction."
A statement from the Phuket Tourism Association underlined the importance of this message: "It is important that we do not suffer from a second wave - an economic crisis caused by fleeing tourists. This is less dramatic than the tsunami itself, but it threatens a more serious and more lasting impact on everyone here. Tourists can best show their support now simply by returning to Phuket. This is the best way to help relieve the pain and to help return local lives to normal."
And already it seems as though tourists are responding to the call, with travel bookings to many of the countries affected by the tsunami showing a strong recovery. Figures just released from Singapore-based Abacus International, a leading Asia Pacific travel organisation, indicate that many of the travellers who cancelled bookings to the worst affected destinations soon after the wave struck, have since rebooked to other areas within the Asia Pacific region.
Don Birch, President and CEO of Abacus, said: "Already we are starting to see a recovery in affected markets. Travel is incredibly resilient, and we know from experience that recovery time is surprisingly short following a crisis." More information is available on the Abacus website.
Francesco Frangialli, Secretary-General of the World Tourism Organization, agrees that the disaster will have only a limited impact on world tourism: "Experience gained with previous emergency situations, shows that tourism is capable of recovering often more vigorously and rapidly than initially expected. I am confident that this time, it will not be different in spite of the severity and wide geographical coverage of the disaster."
He continued: "WTO will do its best to ensure that tourism in Asia will overcome the difficulties as it did during the Asian financial crisis in 1997 and 1998, in the aftermath of 11 September 2001 and facing the outbreak of SARS in 2003!" A full statement from the WTO about the disaster can be viewed on the WTO website.
In an address to the Tourism Society, Geoffrey Lipman, president of the International Council of Tourism Partners and special adviser to the WTO, said that, although the tsunami had resulted in a humanitarian catastrophe, its impact on the tourism industry must be put in context: "This was not just another disaster and it cannot be business as usual after this. It was instant, it was massive, it was devastating and it had huge spread in the media. It continues to be visible in real time, and it brought about a global response from the whole international community.
"Everything in these countries - the people and infrastructure is affected. However, the impact on the tourism industry is limited to 3 percent of world tourism and in a part of Asia that has seen high tourism growth, in a market that is very resilient and where people will return."
So what comes next? Later this month, the executive council of the WTO will hold an emergency meeting in Phuket, Thailand, to help draw focus to the tourism recovery efforts taking place in the region. Many of the countries affected by the disaster have plans to launch crisis recovery and marketing campaigns within the next couple of months. At DMO World we wish them all well and will be following their progress in future editions.
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