Jakarta is recovering quickly from the bomb attacks earlier this month, according to UNWTO.
After a mission, carried out by Xu Jing, regional representative for Asia and the Pacific, UNWTO said except for the specific areas where Hotel JW Marriot and Hotel Ritz Carlton are located, life has basically restored to normality.
“Jakarta did stop for a moment on Friday, but not for long. We are not going to allow terrorists to dictate and allow them to make Jakarta their hostage,†said Fauzi Bowo, governor of DKI Jakarta.
It said the latest data from Indonesia’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism, and confirmed by the Indonesia Hotel and Restaurant Association, reveal that there is no obvious tourist exodus from Jakarta nor from Bali as a result of the bomb blast.
“There is no room for terrorism to kill tourism. There is no room for terrorists to use tourism to kill innocent visitors,†said Dr. Taleb Rifai, secretary-general of UNWTO.
At a press conference, the Government of Indonesia and the tourism industry were praised for their professional approach and efficient capacity in handling the crisis.
By Bev Fearis
