Jakarta (AsiaNews/Agencies) - The number of people presumed dead in last month's south-east Asian tsunamis rose to more than 280,000 whilst governments in the region try to revive their tourism industry, hitherto an important engine of growth.
Hardest-hit Indonesia revised its estimates upward. A total of 228,429 people are listed as either dead or missing, according to its Health Ministry. Sri Lanka suffered 30,957 dead; India, 16,413; Thailand, 5,384; Maldives, 82; Malaysia, 68; Myanmar, 61; Bangladesh, 2; Somalia, 298; Tanzania, 10; Kenya, 1.
Economic recovery is not waiting though for a final death toll. In a meeting yesterday on the Malaysian island of Langkawi, tourism ministers from the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) agreed to intensify marketing cooperation to woo local and international tourists—visa restrictions were eased to boost intra-ASEAN travel and offset losses due to cancellations by long-haul travellers and an early warning system in the Indian Ocean will be built to regain confidence among foreign tourists.
Malaysian Tourism Minister Leo Michael Toyad urged Western countries to tone down travel advisories that discourage their nationals from travelling to Asia.
Yet, despite the short-term problems, ASEAN ministers said they were confident that the tourism industry would see marked improvements by November of this year and be back to normal by 2006.
Hotel occupancy rates in southern Thailand and the Maldives have in the meantime plunged to 20 or 30 per cent from the usual high-season level of 95 per cent.
Tourism associations in tsunami-hit countries say they need tourists more than donations to aid recovery.
Tour operators say many areas in those countries are safe.
Michael Yates, director of strategic partnerships at the Pacific Asia Travel Association, said that in the Maldives, only about 20 out of some 80 hotels are closed.
He noted that according to the World Health Organisation the feared outbreaks of infectious diseases have not happened.
Local airlines and travel agencies are offering incentives to lure tourists back to these areas and the government of Sri Lanka might even international stars to stage concerts in the country to draw people.
Tourism is a major revenue-earner for the countries of the region, generating about 4.8 per cent of the gross domestic product (GDP).