S'pore, RI ministers to discuss tourism<\/p>\n
Transport Minister Yeo Cheow Tong is making a two-day visit to
\nJakarta to discuss ways of restoring the confidence of
\ninternational tourists in the tsunami-ravaged region, the
\nSingapore government said on Monday.<\/p>\n
Yeo is meeting with Indonesia's Minister for Transportation
\nHatta Radjasa and State Minister of Culture and Tourism Jero
\nWacik through Tuesday.<\/p>\n
Booking cancellations have affected the coastal areas of
\nThailand, particularly Phuket, where more than 5,000 people died.
\nAt least half were Westerners on vacation.<\/p>\n
Bookings for Sri Lanka and the idyllic Maldives have also
\nplunged after the onslaught of killer walls of water on Dec. 26.<\/p>\n
There has been a shift away from Southeast Asia for long-haul
\nflights to Australia, Europe and Canada, but Bali, Bangkok and
\nKuala Lumpur are still popular destinations for regional
\ntravellers, agents said.<\/p>\n
Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Singapore
\nPrime Minister Lee Hsien Loong had requested their respective
\nministers in November to explore cooperation in tourism and civil
\naviation.<\/p>\n
The sector had rebounded from the deadly SARS virus in 2003
\nand the bird flu scare last year. -- DPA<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/spore-ri-ministers-to-discuss-tourism-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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