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| Down Under |
| 'Tense' Aussie tourists boycott Indonesia |
| 2006-04-08 |
| AUSTRALIAN tourists are staying away from Indonesia as tensions between the countries escalate. Tourist numbers have halved amid terrorism fears and anger at the treatment of Australian drug-runners. They could fall even further as diplomatic relations deteriorate over Australia's decision to grant political asylum to 42 people, including several independence activists, from the Indonesian province of West Papua. Figures released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics reveal 16,500 Australians visited Indonesia in February, down from 32,500 in the same month last year. Despite terrorist attacks in Jakarta and Bali, Indonesia remained among our top four tourist destinations until September, but numbers dropped dramatically after the second Bali bombing in October. Indonesia no longer ranks among Australians' top 10 destinations. Thailand has been the big winner, enjoying a 45 per cent increase in Australian tourists between February 2005 and February 2006, according to the bureau. More Australians also are visiting Singapore, India, Fiji and the US, especially Hawaii. Flight Centre spokesman Haydn Long said Bali's tourist trade had not recovered as it did after the first terrorist bombings in 2002. "People aren't going there in great numbers," he said. The latest travel advisory from the Department of Foreign Affairs warns of a "high threat" of terrorist attacks in Indonesia and says Australians should reconsider plans to go there. But Mr Long said the tourist boycott was probably due to a combination of factors, including resentment over the treatment of Schapelle Corby and the Bali Nine drug smugglers. "Tourists went to Bali for the people, the beach, the affordability – Thailand also offers a lot of that kind of appeal," he said. Barring further terrorist attacks, Bali is expected to recover, but it may take some years. "From what we've seen it will probably be a bit slower than previously," Mr Long said. |
| Posted by:Oztralian |
| #1 Muslims seem to trouble with the concept of "cause and effect." People will not visit, not invest, not help in any way places where people try to kill them. These people always seem to want the goods, services, and wealth of the West without Westerners. Indonesia is eventually going to fall apart as its continuing attempts to industrialize fall apart under the weight of militant Islam. Too bad. The West is going to vote with its wallet. |
| Posted by: RWV 2006-04-08 22:09 |