Call to fight ‘obscenity’ of terrorism
WTM Special Reoprt: India’s tourism minister made an impassioned plea for the global travel industry to combat terrorism.
Speaking during a debate on the future of tsunami affected countries at World Travel Market, Renuka Chowdhury also condemned “discriminatory” travel advisories which differed between countries.
She said government travel advice played a “key role” in determining whether travellers visit regions perceived to be under threat of terrorism.
Chowdhury said: “This only plays into the hands of terrorists. All of us should unite and fight this obscenity called terrorism.”
She added: “Terrorism is a universal phenomenon. We are the people who can take the initiative to subvert terrorism through tourism. We must speak with one voice throughout the world. It is imperative to show that we are not afraid.
“Tourism builds bridges, not walls. It is the biggest people-to-people contact system.”
Senior tourism representatives from India, Indonesia, the Maldives, Sri Lanka and Thailand were joined by Pacific Asia Travel Association CEO and president Peter De Jong to present a positive message about tourism prospects for the region.
De Jong cautioned against a “media tsunami engulfing the region” when the first anniversary of the tragedy is remembered on December 26.
Guarding against potential negative images despite the receovery of key tourist destinations in Asia, he said: “We need a solumn closure and to look forward to enable consumers to see the destinations for what they are today.”
To demonstrate the level of tsunami recovery, he revealed that international arrivals to PATA countries should reach 330 million this year, up between 8-9% on 2004.
Report by Phil Davies
Phil Davies
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