Aussie travel warnings

Aussie travel warnings

Once bitten by their failure to include Bali in travel
warnings ahead of the Oct. 12, 2002, nightclub bombings at Kuta
Beach, Australian security officials are determined to be
everything but twice shy.

Having received notice from an eavesdropping national ally of
a potential terrorist attack against upmarket hotels in Indonesia
-- particularly those of the Hilton brand -- authorities upgraded
tourist warnings for the second time in 24 hours. Telling
Australians to keep clear of Western hotels across Indonesia, and
urging those not on urgent business to depart the archipelago or
to defer traveling there, the Foreign Minister, Alexander Downer,
said: "This is credible information. We wouldn't be passing it on
unless we were particularly concerned."

Even so, the efficacy of such warnings needs examination. Now
so common in Indonesia, many Australian expatriates regard them
as irritants. Lured by the prospect of an exotic, relatively
inexpensive holiday, some Australians calculate their own odds
and press on regardless. And Hilton hotels in Jakarta and Bali
chose not to pass on this warning to Australian guests, citing a
lack of specifics and the need not to generate fear.

The same warnings issued now have a more emphatic effect,
which helps explain why hotel operators in tourism destinations
are reluctant to spread the word. Because security analysts must
necessarily engage in a lot of second-guessing, the simplest
first step is for people to make up their own minds about where
they should and should not travel. And that requires the best and
most up-to-date information available.
-- The Sydney Morning Herald