Chaweng Beach, Koh Samui,Thailand

South East Asia has always been a paradise for holidays especially for those holidaymakers seeking the warm sun with pristine beaches. What makes holidays in this region all the more enchanting is the fact that the vast coastline is shared by a number of countries, which have somewhat similar cultures but are uniquely different in their own right.

It was this coastline that was ravaged by the devastating tsunami in late December – a time when this region is packed with holidaymakers mostly from the western hemisphere who escape the cold winters to be in warmer climes.  The tsunami left a trail of destruction and tragedy along the famous coastline and the true horrors of the devastation only came to light when news started trickling in from regions where communication lines had been cut off and other remote areas 

While the aftermath of tsunami was widely reported and covered in the media internationally, what has not taken up the same space in the media has been the rebuilding which is taking place on a war footing in the region.

What the media has not reported is that there are still wonderful holidays to be had in the area. Many of the hotels, guesthouses, restaurants and shops have slowly but surely bounced back. A lot of the beaches are back to normal and most amenities have been restored including telecommunications. For most of the affected region, tourism is one of the biggest businesses with a lot of smaller industries and businesses also being supported because of the influx of tourists.

What is worse to see after the destruction is the lack of tourists and empty beaches, which were once teeming with revellers. The general image in the minds of prospective tourists is that the entire region had suffered extensive damage. This, however is not true with the result that even at places like Koh Samui, Cha Am in Thailand which were totally unaffected by the tsunami have witnessed a sharp decline in tourists. Even in the Maldives most of the resorts are operating as normal now but the occupancy rate is down to less than half. Langkawi, a popular destination with tourists, suffered only minor damage and the beaches of Penang were affected but both destinations were restored to normal within 72 hours. Life along the east coast of India has also mostly returned to normal with fully operational hotels and resorts.

With the whole region bouncing back to normalcy, the only logical conclusion is for tourists to plan and book their holidays. Since the area was always popular with tourists, a large number of hotels offered accommodation according to the budget of the traveller and so, if one hotel is not functioning as normal as of now, there are plenty of alternatives to choose from. Infact, due to less occupancy, some hotels are offering discounts to guests and also to tour operators, which are being passed on to prospective holidaymakers.

While rebuilding live and livelihoods of affected people is a long drawn out process with the involvement of charities, non governmental & governmental organisations as well as local authorities, the common opinion shared amongst the agencies that the sooner tourism is back to normal, the better it is for rehabilitation. There is a concerted effort to bring the entire region back to normal.

The view on the ground as of now is very different to the image that still seems to be holding the attention of tourists. Careful planning and gathering information on the places and hotels will make for an enjoyable holiday even now. There is no reason for tourists to stay away any longer and it would go a long way in helping people who were the most affected. While a huge amount of relief and aid has poured in, the main livelihood of these people is sustained by the tourism industry.

Even large tour operators who had earlier cancelled all arrangements and released the hotel rooms they were holding, have now resumed services and are once again offering holidays – albeit with slight changes to existing itineraries.

Responsible tourism – the buzzword in the travel industry – holds true for the tour operators as well as for the tourists therefore, now is as good a time as any other to plan or to make that visit to South East Asia that tourists have either been waiting for or put off due to the events of 26^th December 2004.