Trade groups unite to condemn Bali bombs

The International Hotel & Restaurant Association (IH&RA) and the World Tourism Organisation (WTO) have condemned the recent bombing in Bali as "a blatant attack against international tourists and the tourism industry".

The WTO is studying how the Bali bombing will influence tourism trends in Bali, Indonesia, Asia and across the world.

Its analysis will be presented at the forthcoming tourism recovery committee meeting, to be held in London on 12 November, which will be attended by tourism ministers from around the world. The WTO is urging tour operators to keep Bali on their itineraries.

Indonesia had 5.2 million international tourists in 2001. IH&RA chief executive Alain-Philippe Feutr‚ said that tour companies operating across the whole of Asia and the Pacific would now face massive cancellations, which would, in turn, affect airlines, hotels and restaurants.

He said that the media had a great responsibility to combat the fear of travelling, although national governments in Europe, the Americas and Australia have told their citizens to leave Indonesia immediately.

Feutr‚ said that the media and governments should equally give regular objective updates on the security conditions in the region, so that, once the situation improves, international travel to the area can resume.

"If you stop travelling, you are giving the terrorists a big victory," he said.

The IH&RA is a network of hotel and restaurant chains and associations in more than 100 countries. Its remit is to promote, protect and inform the hospitality industry worldwide. The WTO, a United Nations agency, acts as a global forum for tourism policy issues. Its membership includes 139 countries, airlines, hotel groups and tour operators.

by Ben Walker