Tsunami impact on tourism limited: Report<\/p>\n
Deutsche Presse-Agentur, New Delhi<\/p>\n
The economic impact of last December's tsunami on travel and
\ntourism was significant, but limited, the World Travel and
\nTourism Council (WTTC) said on Friday.<\/p>\n
The tsunami, which devastated some popular tourist
\ndestinations around the Indian Ocean and killed an estimated
\n300,000 people, \"had a significant, but limited overall impact on
\nthe tourism economies\", WTTC said in a report on the economic
\nimpact of the tsunami in Thailand, Sri Lanka and the Maldives.<\/p>\n
The report was released at the fifth Global Travel and Tourism
\nsummit that started in New Delhi on Friday.<\/p>\n
\"The total impact of the December tsunami on 2005 travel and
\ntourism is expected to approach US$3 billion and cost more than a
\nquarter of a million jobs,\" said WTTC's executive vice-president
\nRichard Miller.<\/p>\n
\"In most cases the jobs will be recovered as soon as traffic
\nbegins to return to the affected areas. But in the meantime the
\neconomies will continue to suffer. Although the impact of the
\ntsunami has been significant, it is generally limited for travel
\nand tourism to a short list of specific destinations.\"<\/p>\n
The impact of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in the
\nUnited States was 37.5 times larger in monetary terms than the
\ntsunami and 2.8 times larger in terms of impact on employment,
\nWTTC said.<\/p>\n
The impact of the SARS epidemic equaled 40 percent of the
\ntsunami monetarily and 10 percent in terms of impact on
\nemployment, while the effect of the Bali bombings of 2002
\nequaled 20 percent of the tsunami impact monetarily and was 1.8
\ntimes larger in terms of impact on employment, the report said.<\/p>\n
In tsunami-affected Thailand, Sri Lanka and the Maldives \"the
\nanalyses showed significant declines in visitor exports, while
\nincreases were reported in government expenditures and capital
\ninvestment for marketing, promotion, recovery and rebuilding
\nefforts to assist the industry\", WTTC said.<\/p>\n
Thailand's tourism industry suffered losses of 16.7 percent or
\n$1.2 billion in its contribution to 2005 GDP.<\/p>\n
An estimated 94,780 jobs were lost.<\/p>\n
Sri Lanka's travel and tourism sector lost 66,840 jobs and
\n$201 million in industry contribution to 2005 GDP, while the
\nMaldives lost 10,440 jobs and 30.4 percent or $55 million in
\nindustry contribution to 2005 GDP and 10,440 jobs, the report
\nsaid.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/tsunami-impact-on-tourism-limited-report-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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