PATA set to adopt strategies to tackle tourism crisis
PATA set to adopt strategies to tackle tourism crisis
Fitri Wulandari, The Jakarta Post, Denpasar, Bali
The high-profile meeting of the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) in Bali is expected to come up with a set of strategies and recommendations to help the tourism industry get through the current crisis.
PATA President Peter de Jong said that he hoped that the recommendations could become a roadmap for the region to get past the gloomy situation in the industry caused by the Sept. 11 and Oct. 12 terror attacks, the current war in Iraq and SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome).
"We are going to have various seminars and discussions. And the best scenario is to find some sort of roadmap to get out from the crisis and certainly with regard to the way we prepare ourselves for a future crisis," de Jong told reporters in a media briefing on Sunday at the Bali International Convention Center in Nusa Dua.
The media briefing, held by PATA and the Indonesian Tourism Development Board (BP-BUDPAR), was also attended by the latter's chairman Setyanto P. Santoso, PATA chairman Bo W. Long, and Bali Vice Governor I.G. Bagus Alit Putra.
"By Wednesday, we expect to have about 5 recommendations," De Jong added.
De Jong said seminars on medical emergencies and crisis management would be held to propose such recommendations.
The 52nd PATA Conference is due to be officially opened by President Megawati Soekarnoputri on Monday. This is the third time the PATA conference is being held in Indonesia and second time in Bali.
Further, de Jong said that the conference would also issue the PATA PROMISE which declares the international organization as the leading agency for the preservation of cultural heritage sites in the region.
While the conference is held amid the gloomy state of world tourism, de Jong said tourism in the Pacific Asia would survive, propelled by intra-regional traveling.
According to de Jong, 65 percent of the travelers in the Asia- Pacific region were from the region.
"So, our dependence on long haul travel has diminished. Our dependence on intra-regional travel, neighbors traveling within the Asia-Pacific has gone up by leaps and bounds. That's what has helped us get through the Sept. 11 and Oct. 12 problems," he said.
Regarding the SARS epidemic, de Jong predicted that the tourism industry would recover in three to six months, but the long-term impact would be worse than the war in Iraq.
"Given the huge population in this region, including Indonesia and its continued economic development -- which is strong, we think in six months, we are all looking at a better and healthier picture again," he predicted
"But the impact (of SARS) will not last for long. The epidemic hurts the mind more than the body," he added.
De Jong said that with the current situation, tourism in the region was unlikely to grow as much as it had in the previous two years, when it recorded a 4.5 percent growth rate.
Meanwhile, the Indonesian government expressed optimism that the conference would help jumpstart the country so it could reinvigorate the battered tourism industry particularly with greater numbers of travelers.
Setyanto said that as of Sunday, the number of registered participants was 972 from 42 countries.
"It is surprising that the participation increased significantly. Two weeks ago, we only expected some 500-600 participants," Setyanto said.
He added that the government had provided tight security for the conference and extra measures to prevent SARS.