ASEAN wants 'fair' travel advisories after tsunami

ASEAN wants 'fair' travel advisories after tsunami

A. Junaidi, The Jakarta Post, Langkawi, Malaysia

Anticipating a possible decrease in the number of foreign
tourists in the region after the recent tsunami disaster, ASEAN
countries on Tuesday called on governments to be "fair and
responsible" in issuing travel advisories for their citizens.

"We urge governments to coordinate, qualify and verify reports
of damage with the proper national authorities before issuing
such advisories that may prove damaging not just to the nations
but the whole region as well," said Malaysian Minister of Tourism
Leo Michael Toyad.

Speaking after the ASEAN Tourism Ministers Meeting and the
opening ceremony of the ASEAN Tourism Forum on Langkawi island,
Malaysia, Toyad refused to specifically name any countries that
had issued such advisories.

He said the ASEAN countries also urged the media to ensure
balanced and accurate reporting, stressing that the catastrophe
had affected only a small part of ASEAN. "Our message is clear,
that travel to ASEAN countries remains safe."

Indonesian State Minister of Culture and Tourism Jero Wacik
said the government would not revise down its target of six
million foreign tourists for this year. He added that the country
would increase its tourism promotion in new markets, such as
China and India.

He said that 95 percent of Indonesian tourist destinations
were safe. "Ninety-five percent of tourist destinations in
Indonesia are still attractive to visitors."

Wacik said for the time being Indonesia would not revoke its
domestic departure tax policy.

"Millions of Indonesians would travel abroad if we revoked the
policy, despite the fact that there are so many local tourist
destinations that lack visitors," he said.

However, in the case of small enterprises that needed to send
representatives abroad, he said his ministry would recommend that
they be exempted from the departure tax.

During the meeting, which was also attended by ministers from
China, South Korea and Japan, the ministers had agreed to
reaffirm ASEAN solidarity and to assist the tsunami-stricken
countries to rebuild their economies and accelerate the recovery
of the tourism sector.

The ministers pledged in their statement -- the Langkawi
Declaration -- to further strengthen cooperation and to promote
the development of sustainable and safe tourism.

The ministers promised to enhance air linkages, and ground and
waterway transportation to facilitate greater tourism in the
region.

A special working group would also be established to recommend
and facilitate measures designed to improve tourism integration
so as to pave the way for the creation of the ASEAN Economic
Community.