WTO Foresees Quick Snapback in South East Asia after Tsunamis

Tourism in South East Asian countries that were virtually swept away by the December 26 seaquake could be back on its feet only if tourists resume their travels to Indonesia, Thailand, Sri Lanka and the Maldives Islands, said Jing Xu, representative of the World Tourism Organization (WTO) for the Asia and Pacific Region.

Mr. Xu noted that most tourist infrastructure in the tsunami-battered countries is now back in business.

The fast-paced recovery of hotels, restaurants, stores and beaches has gone beyond all WTO’s expectations. According to Mr. Xu, who made an on-the-spot inspection of damages in January, all destinations in the region are ready to assimilate the same volumes of travelers they used to accept before the catastrophe.

In spite of that heartening assertion, the presence of tourists is still scarce and overall hotel occupancy barely peaks 30 percent. In some travel destinations, like Sri Lanka, that rate has sunk below 20 percent when it should be instead close to 90 percent during this time of year.

With that concern in mind, the Madrid-based organization is calling on the international community to flock to that region again as the best way to help the tsunami-stricken nations to get their travel industries and economies back on all six.