TOURIST destinations in Visayas devastated by super typhoon Haiyan can bounce back in three to six months, the lead time for the recovery of Asian destinations similarly affected by natural disasters or terrorist attacks in recent history, according to Bill Barnett, managing director of C9 Hotelworks.
Tracking what he called the “big event syndrome”, Barnett noted a three- to six-month recovery for Japan’s east coast from the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami; Bali from the series of bombings in 2005; and Indonesia, Thailand, the Maldives and Sri Lanka from the 2004 tsunami.
“Tourists will come back quickly to the affected destinations in the Philippines. People want to help. Overseas Filipinos will come back. People will travel out of sentiment. People who don’t know the Philippines will visit,” said Barnett.
“People are travelling on short notice, on shorter-term period, on LCCs,” he added.
He said several things can be learned from the “big events syndrome” of the past, including turning the negative into positive.
“One of the things we learned from the Bali bombings is that the tourism sector is speaking with one voice, telling the people that the hotels are okay and everything is fine.”
In Thailand, in the aftermath of the Asian tsunami, the government intervened and pressed the insurance companies to pay the owners of damaged hotels and resorts quickly.
“That’s the key to rebuilding, and something that maybe the Philippine Department of Tourism can do,” said Barnett.
However, he questioned whether the campaign brand, It’s More Fun in the Philippines, is relevant and appropriate in the aftermath of Haiyan.
