SE Asia, a safe tourism destination

SE Asia, a safe tourism destination

Associated Press, Phnom Penh

Southeast Asian tourism ministers kicked off a four-day
conference Friday aimed at drawing up plans to promote the region
as a safe tourism destination.

Regional tourism has taken a hit since October's terrorist
attacks on the Indonesian island of Bali, which killed nearly 200
people. In the attacks' aftermath, foreign governments, including
the United States, the UK and Australia, issued travel advisories
to the dismay of Southeast Asian nations which rely heavily on
tourism revenues.

Hoping to counteract negative foreign assessments, the
ministers said they plan "to create a Web site on tourism safety
and security to provide precise and timely information for
travelers, public, media as well as foreign governments in
response to travelers' concerns over safety and security."

The plan was in a draft joint statement obtained by the
Associated Press before its scheduled release later Friday.

Ministers from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations
(ASEAN) were participating in the conference.

ASEAN comprises Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia,
Myanmar, Thailand, the Philippines, Singapore and Vietnam.

The ministers were scheduled to hold talks later Friday with
counterparts from China, Japan and South Korea.