The Hindu : Pushkar mela: U.S. travel advisories may hit tourism

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Nov 24, 2002

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Pushkar mela: U.S. travel advisories may hit tourism

By Amit Baruah

NEW DELHI Nov. 23. Were the United States and Britain correct in issuing travel advisories warning their citizens to stay away from the Pushkar mela in Rajasthan? What impact do such advisories have on tourism and local economies?

From Pushkar, Bali may be quite a distance, but the same issue was raised last month when the U.S. and other Western nations issued warnings against travel to the Indonesian tourist paradise, where some 200 persons were killed in October. Governments often play it safe by issuing a warning where information becomes available or, perhaps, when a gathering or a meeting is an obvious target.

But the implications of their actions go a long way when it comes to tourism-dependent nations; especially in South-East Asia.

A solid message against terrorism was sent out from Phnom Penh earlier this month, when ASEAN Heads of State/Government decided to hold their next summit meeting in Bali next year. ``We want to bring back the confidence to Bali. Then we bring back the signal that ASEAN Governments are unified and we are together with Indonesia on this,'' a wire agency quoted the new ASEAN Secretary-General, Ong Keng-Yong, as saying.

For tourism-dependent regions such as South-East Asia and for Indonesia in particular, the Bali blasts and the follow-up travel advisories could not have come at a worse time. Whatever be their apprehensions about Indonesia, the ASEAN-10 rallied around and sent the message that terrorists would not be allowed to win and their leaders would assemble once again in Bali.

A recent New York Times report said that the U.S. Ambassadors based in Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand asked that their countries be excluded from the purview of the warnings.

The report made the point that terrorist attacks can occur in all parts of the world, not just in the developing world. It said that terrorist cells were operating in the U.S. and in Europe.

Though the number of tourists visiting India is less than that of those visiting South-East Asia, the Pushkar mela, undoubtedly, is one of the more attractive propositions for Western tourists. But travel advisories might scare tourists away.

While Governmental compulsions are obvious, especially after September 11, the impact of travel warnings can be extremely serious and long-term.

By all accounts, travel to the West and the United States, is not without problems for people from Asia, especially those ``looking like'' Muslims or having Muslim names, after the tragic events of September 11.

The ASEAN's determination to hold the next leaders' summit in Bali has sent a message that fear and terror must not be permitted to ruin people's livelihoods and ways of life.

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