SARS won't delay PATA conference

SARS won't delay PATA conference

Adianto P. Simamora, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The planned Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) conference
in Bali will not be delayed despite an outbreak of a deadly new
pneumonia-like virus in the region.

The Indonesian Culture and Tourism Board (ICTB) has remained
adamant about pushing through with the event, which will host
delegates from around the world -- including those countries that
have been hardest hit by the virus.

"We have not yet received any cancellations from participants
due to fears over the disease," ICTB chairman Setyanto P. Santosa
said on Thursday.

Speaking at a press conference, Setyanto expressed optimism
that some 800 foreign delegates and 500 domestic participants
would show up for the 52nd PATA annual conference.

"As of today, some 742 participants from 41 countries have
confirmed they will attend the conference," he said.

The PATA conference will be held from April 13 to April 17 in
Bali.

Setyanto said that the board would not ban any participants
from Singapore, Hong Kong or China where the illness, known as
Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) was reaching epidemic
proportions.

The ICTB is a unit of the Indonesian Ministry of Tourism and
Culture whose main job is to promote the country's tourism
sector.

Setyanto added that the board had teamed up with the
Indonesian Travel Health Society (ITHS) to prevent any delegates
infected by SARS from coming to the conference.

"We are on alert, we will place at least 15 doctors at the
Ngurah Rai airport in Bali," Setyanto said.

ITHS is a non-governmental organization which consists of both
doctors and tourist industry experts.

Tourist experts have warned that SARS could become a new
threat to the country's tourist sector, which had just begun to
show signs of recovery after the devastating impact of last
year's Bali terror bombing.

To date, about 80 people have reportedly died from SARS around
the world and there have been 2,000 suspected cases reported.

Two of the worst affected areas are Hong Kong and Singapore,
both of which are among Indonesia's most important tourism
markets.

The upcoming PATA conference will be aimed at providing
opportunities for international tourism executives to expand
their networks and achieve a greater understanding of the trends
making an impact on tourism.

The conference, with the theme of "Culture and Tourism: From
Heritage to Legacy", will be kicked off by President Megawati
Soekarnoputri.

The theme is expected to raise greater awareness among the
delegates about their responsibility for protecting and passing
on local culture and heritage to subsequent generations.

For Indonesia, the event is considered significant as it could
contribute to the recovery of Bali's tourism.

Elsewhere, Setyanto said that the government has projected
that between 3.8 million and 4.5 million foreign tourists would
visit the country this year.

He said that despite concerns over the local reaction to the
war in Iraq and SARS, the low-end range of the target could still
be met.

Last year, the number of foreign tourists fell to around 4
million from 5.15 million in 2001.

Tourism is the country's second largest non-oil and gas
foreign exchange earner.