S'pore, RI ministers to discuss tourism

Tue, 11 Jan 2005 | Source: DPA

Transport Minister Yeo Cheow Tong is making a two-day visit to Jakarta to discuss ways of restoring the confidence of international tourists in the tsunami-ravaged region, the Singapore government said on Monday.

Yeo is meeting with Indonesia's Minister for Transportation Hatta Radjasa and State Minister of Culture and Tourism Jero Wacik through Tuesday.

Booking cancellations have affected the coastal areas of Thailand, particularly Phuket, where more than 5,000 people died. At least half were Westerners on vacation.

Bookings for Sri Lanka and the idyllic Maldives have also plunged after the onslaught of killer walls of water on Dec. 26.

There has been a shift away from Southeast Asia for long-haul flights to Australia, Europe and Canada, but Bali, Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur are still popular destinations for regional travellers, agents said.

Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong had requested their respective ministers in November to explore cooperation in tourism and civil aviation.

The sector had rebounded from the deadly SARS virus in 2003 and the bird flu scare last year. -- DPA

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