TV images distort truth: travel agent

Conflicting information about the areas affected by the Tsunami disaster will have long-term repercussions for tourism, according to Helensburgh travel agent Barbara Allen.

The principal of Piccadilly Travel Service said television footage purporting to be images of Phuket in Thailand were actually Khaolak, one of the worst affected towns.

“In Phuket, 80 percent of the hotels were operating within two days,” Barbara said.

She said potential travellers were allowing a “grieving period” before returning to the area however she cautioned that if tourists stayed away, the local economies would be devastated.

“They rely on tourism,” Barbara said.

She said six months after the Bali bombing, the area came back “with a vengeance” and she predicted cheaper fares in the future would entice travellers back to the Tsunami affected areas.

“It’s not unsafe,” Barbara said. “In Phuket, the hospitals are 80 percent operational and there’s no more disease than normal.

“In certain parts of Phuket, you wouldn’t even know anything had happened.

“And the beaches are cleaner than they were before the Tsunami.”

Barbara said Bali was still the community’s top tourist destination, with Fiji and the Gold Coast also proving popular.