Asian tourism could come around by the end of the year, experts say

Asia’s tourist industry –hit hard by the SARS outbreak- has begun to bounce back and could be working on all six by the end of the ongoing year, attendants to the Forum on International Cooperation for Tourism Development in Hong Kong pointed out.

Under a slogan reading “Revitalizing Tourism In Asia,” some thirty delegations from different countries and as many as 900 representatives from international organizations related to the tourist industry assessed a number of joint strategies aimed at getting the industry off the hook after skidding into one of its worst crises ever.

”Many areas are beginning to recover and we’re now seeing the arrival of visitors hailing from mainland China,” Hong Kong executive chief Tung Chee-Hwa explained.

The former British colony was one of the territories hit the hardest by the Severe and Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) that slashed the number of travelers by a third compared to the numbers posted the year before.

Nevertheless, “our policy is marching on the right track and the economy in on the way to recovery in a gradual but steady pace,” Mr. Tung averred.

Forum delegates stressed on the need to restore confidence in the Asian tourist industry through the implementation of such common strategies as heightened cooperation between the private and public sectors, and a stepped-up effort to promote the entire region.

”The fear generated by SARS has affected many people in a top-heavy fashion. We must assess the consequences and learn from the crisis,” New Zealand primer minister Jenny Shipley expressed.

For his part, Thomas Penney, vice president of the Canadian Tourism Commission, insisted on the importance of getting quick and reliable information, and referred to the need of acting on solid grounds.

In the case of Canada, authorities have earmarked a $20 million stimulus package to get tourism fired up and advertise the country in the U.S. and European markets, Mr. Penney pointed out.

The drop in the number of leisure and business travelers have prodded governments to review their economic forecasts. According to a recent report issued by the Australian government, growth in East Asia and Down Under combined could plummet up to one percent this year.

The Hong Kong meeting was planned and sponsored by the World Tourism Organization and the Boao Forum for Asia.