Updates on the state of the travel industry in destinations directly affected by the December 26, 2004 quake and tsunami.

Posted December 26, 2005: An additional 35 islands have been proposed for tourism development in the Maldives,  expected to add 5,000-7,000 beds over the next two-five years. PATA forecasts arrivals to Maldives will likely increase by 6.8% in 2006 and 2007.

According to the Maldives Tourism Promotion Board (MTPB), bed capacity in tourist resorts increased from 16, 318-16,858, or +3.3%, from 2001-2004. During the same period, tourist arrivals increased 33.6%.

As of December 23, 75 resorts are in operation in the Maldives. Only 12 resorts remain closed for renovation. Full resorts update.

MTPB Web site.

Posted December 26, 2005: Sri Lanka’s tourism industry, a vital contributor to the nation’s economic wellbeing, has rebounded strongly following the devastating effects of the December 2004 tsunami. In the first nine months of 2005, official figures indicate that visitor arrivals have reached more than 400,000, an 8% increase over the same period in 2004.

According to the Sri Lanka Tourist Board (SLTB), peak tourist season from November 2005-March 2006 promises to break another record, with projections indicating that visitor arrivals will exceed the 500,000 mark.

The US$320 million dollar tourism recovery plan Bounce Back Sri Lanka, initiated by the Sri Lanka Government in the aftermath of the tsunami, included an extensive infrastructure and construction programme, investment in community development and duty waivers for the travel and tourism industry. It also included a US$10 million marketing recovery programme.

Full release. (PDF 54 KB)

Posted December 26, 2005: Hotel managers in Phuket, Thailand expect business to continue to improve next year as more tourists return to the island, adding that it will likely take another year to achieve pre-tsunami levels.

Le Meridien Beach Resort General Manager Mr Rudolf Borgesius agrees said that business had been very good for this year’s high season. He expects to achieve 70% occupancy in 2006. Novotel Phuket General Manager Mr Ivor Rai said his hotel had so far achieved a 75% recovery.

The Thai Hotels Association (THA) reported that Phuket had almost returned to normal, with hotel occupancy at 50-60%. However, some destinations badly affected by the tsunami, such as Khao Lak in Phang Nga province, are far from approaching pre-tsunami levels of both capacity and occupancy. (Source: The Nation, December 22 via TAT Governor's Web site).

TAT Governor's Web site.

Posted December 25, 2005: Thai Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the ‘One Year in Memory of Tsunami’ Committee, Mr Suwat Liptapanlop, yesterday told journalists in Phuket that people have "financially and mentally healed and have now regained normal living conditions”. 

The Deputy Prime Minister's claim that people had "mentally healed" was backed up by the Public Health Ministry’s Mental Health Department, which said that the World Health Organization considers Thailand the tsunami-affected nation to have best dealt with mental health issues, particularly among children and young people.

Mr Suwat also spoke to journalists about the Thai Government’s rehabilitation operations in tsunami-hit areas in the six affected Andaman provinces – Phuket, Phang-nga, Krabi, Trang, Ranong and Satun. “Over the past year, the Thai government has seriously implemented various tsunami rehabilitating measures," he said. 

In the aftermath of the December 26, 2004 disaster, the Thai Government set up 13 sub-committees to aid victims and co-ordinate relief, including a sub-committee to assist foreign tourists.

For more information, please contact:

Ms Tongchan Boonyapataro and Ms Walaisamorn Bheungnoi

Phuket Press Center, Phuket Graceland Resort & Spa

Tel: (66-76) 246-555. Fax: (66-76) 246-444.

'One Year in Memory of Tsunami' Web site.

Posted December 23, 2005:

Stats and tables (Thailand, Maldives, Sri Lanka, Indonesia). (Excel 89 KB)

Stats and facts (Thailand, Maldives, Sri Lanka). (PDF 194 KB)

Posted December 23, 2005: Fear of the unknown has contributed to the woes of Phuket's travel and tourism industry since the tsunami. January-June 2005 figures compiled by PATA's Strategic Intelligence Centre show that while Thai-origin arrivals, revenue and room occupancy in Phuket have been negatively impacted, foreign-origin arrivals, revenue and room occupancy have been decimated by comparison.

Phuket arrivals mix. (PDF 188 KB)

This situation hasn't been helped by air capacity into Phuket. Compared to January 2005, forecast air capacity in terms of departures are down more than 11% for January 2006, while the number of seats are forecast to be down nearly 8.5%.

Phuket air capacity. (PDF 259 KB)

Posted December 22, 2005: Seventeen young Thai people from tsunami-affected communities along southern Thailand’s Andaman coast will mark 2005 as the most extreme year of their lives. The youths -- who are all tsunami survivors and now students of the Ecotourism Training Center (ETC) in Khao Lak -- will commemorate the past year with a beach bonfire.

The Tsunami Remembrance Beach Bonfire Ceremony will take place December 25 at 1700 on Khuk Khak beach, Khao Lak (behind La Flora Resort). Using timber collected during local coastal clean ups, the fire will be a symbol of renewal for the people of Khao Lak.

ETC, located in Khuk Khak, Phang Nga is a long-term tsunami recovery project providing immediate employment and vocational career training to young Thai adults in tsunami-affected communities. ETC’s clean up activities were sponsored in part by PADI's Project Aware. A recent PATA Foundation grant enabled ETC to buy its own dive compressor.

Full release. (PDF 131 KB) ETC Web site.

Posted December 21, 2005: PATA's Strategic Intelligence Centre (SIC) has prepared a post-tsunami travel and tourism update for Sri Lanka with latest statistics as at December 17, 2005. Findings include:-

• Figures for January-October 2005 show aggregate international visitor arrivals (IVAs) at 449,680, which is +3.4% year-on-year
• The month-by-month % change has been erratic over the last 10 months
• The positive IVA growth does not automatically filter through the existing tourism plant. January-September guest nights in commercial accommodation, for example, shows a distinct concentration around Colombo City with the other regions still well down
• Source markets differ in their relative performances
• The traditional ‘low period’ of March-June has held up well (in comparative terms) but as we enter the critical fourth quarter, which normally accounts for one-third of the annual IVA count, the numbers are beginning to soften significantly
• Air capacity has increased – in terms of scheduled seats/week – but with some carrier changes.

Full update with charts and tables. (PDF 404 KB)

Posted December 20, 2005: PATA Life Member and former PATA President and CEO Mr Lakshman Ratnapala said the travel and  tourism industry must offer hope to the communities affected by the December 26, 2004 tsunami. Mr Ratnapala said: "We in the travel industry can do something very simple to help, by making Sri Lanka the place to send your next client or plan your next meeting. You wouldn’t find a better business opportunity anywhere."

Mr Ratnapala spoke at a PATA Northern California Chapter tsunami remembrance event, December 15. He also performed a "water cleansing of lost souls" ceremony.

Full text. (PDF 62 KB)

Posted December 20, 2005: On December 26, Sri Lanka Tourism will hold a special service in the southern coastal town of Bentota, in memory of all those affected by the tsunami in Sri Lanka and the region. Starting at 1730 by the beachfront, the memorial service will feature one minute silence, religious ceremonies delivered by Buddhist, Hindu, Islamic and Catholic clergy, as well as the placement of candles along the beach. To recreate the events of the past 12 months, three artists will perform enactments depicting the tsunami, survival and the rebuilding process.

Full release. (PDF 82 KB)

Posted December 20, 2005: On December 26, 2005, the Thai government will be organising a tsunami commemorative events in tsunami-affected areas in Phang-nga, Phuket and Krabi, to remember those lost, to celebrate the lives of those who survived and to give thanks for the sympathy and generosity Thailand received from the rest of the world in the aftermath of the disaster.

Tentative programme. (PDF 83 KB)

Dozens of activities are planned for the high season tourism months of December 2005 and January 2006 to create a lively atmosphere in the Andaman provinces, and help both locals and visitors overcome the trauma of the tsunami.

Summary of activities. (PDF 92 KB)

Nearly one year after the December 26, 2004 tsunami tragedy, Thailand is nearing the completion of major restoration efforts in the affected areas. These projects are in line with the Andaman tourism recovery strategy approved by the Thai Cabinet on 10 May, 2005. The crisis has presented a unique opportunity for the Thai tourism industry to embark on a systematic and integrated tourism redevelopment in the affected areas.

Full text. (PDF 101 KB)

Posted December 20, 2005: PATA member Abacus International President and CEO Mr Don Birch says overall bookings on the Abacus system showed that any dip in travel following the tsunami was short term. Latest figures indicate that intra-Asia travel bookings showed a slight dip from February to May but began recovering steadily from June onwards. “This is proof positive of the resilience of Asian travel,” said Mr Birch.

Full release. (PDF 194 KB)

Posted December 20, 2005: At the invitation of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), PATA will send Assistant Director-Communications Mr David Gillbanks to Phuket, December 24-27. Mr Gillbanks will be posted in the Thai Government's media centre, which is being set up on Phuket in anticipation of extensive media interest in the tsunami disaster's first anniversary commemorations. He will help TAT public relations staff handle journalists' enquiries about travel and tourism in tsunami-affected Indian Ocean destinations.

TAT Web site.

Tsunami Anniversary and the Media: Be There or Be Talked About -- Industry Should Grab the Mike by Walter Hansell.

In this article by a partner in PATA member law firm Cooper, White & Cooper, the travel and tourism industry is called upon to seize the initiative, tell their compelling stories and back industry leaders such as PATA to lead the charge to remind the world that Asia Pacific destinations are waiting with open arms to welcome travellers back.

Download. (PDF 84 KB)

Updated December 20, 2005: Frequently asked questions from travellers and the general public about the Indian Ocean tsunami, the recovery process and the impact on travel and tourism: Are tsunami-affected locations safe to return to? Is it appropriate to take a holiday amid people who are still grieving and have suffered so much? When will the destinations be back to normal? Where can I turn to for reliable information?

Forthright answers to these and other questions. Check back often for updates.

Web pages dedicated to tsunami recovery as well as links to PATA members in the Maldives, Sri Lanka and Thailand.

Web resources.