Tsunami: what you need to know

General situation: the west coast of Phuket
Island is expected to take a month to return to normal, according
to the Tourism Authority of Thailand. “Heavy losses
sustained” on Kamala Beach and Patong Beach; most resorts
destroyed on Kho Phi Phi and Phi Phi Don; a 12-mile-strip of beach
on Khao Lak was hardest hit, while 600 hotel rooms were lost in the
Phang-nga province. Estimated cost so far is over £0.5 billion
in lost revenue.

Operator response: major operators have pulled
out of Phuket, Krabi and Phi Phi, TUI has cancelled all departures
to Thailand to January 31, and is reviewing its programme to
Thailand today for February departures. Alternative holidays or
refunds are available.

FTO director-general Andy Cooper said: “This
month we will send out our health and safety people to make sure it
is ready and fit to send people back in. Decisions will also be
subject to Foreign and Commonwealth Office advice. Our members had
1,300 passengers out there.”

Airlines: Thai Airways has added extra flights
between Bangkok and Phuket until further notice; Phuket Air and
British Airways  flights to Bangkok are running as usual. Airlines
will allow cancellations or reroutings until January 31 for
passengers scheduled to fly to Phuket, Trang or Krabi.

FCO advice: recommendation against all
non-essential travel to affected resorts and towns along
Thailand’s west coast, in particular Phuket, Krabi and Khao
Lak.

General situation: 64 resorts continuing to
operate; 19 resorts will be closed for “many months”.
Some 10% of the islands completely destroyed. Much of the tourist
infrastructure built over the past 20 years is “severely
damaged”, according to the government, and tourist arrival
figures have halved since the tsunami. Economic loss could be more
than $1 billion.

Operator response: continuing to sell areas which
are relatively unscathed. Customers of FTO members, which include
the big four, Cosmos, Kuoni and Virgin Holidays, will be able to
cancel holidays until January 31.

FTO director-general Andy Cooper said: “We
are now working out all the health and safety implications before
we send customers to the affected areas. The destination has been
damaged but it is reparable. The vast majority of 3,000 customers
have been evacuated.”

Airlines: Thomson is allowing customers who
don’t wish to travel to cancel with a full refund or transfer
to another destination until January 31. MyTravel Airways is
offering cancellations and amendments for travel in January but
would prefer to know changes by January 15. First Choice Airways
cancelled its January 2 charter, although its January 9 service
will go ahead. Qatar Airways is allowing flight cancellations to
Malé until January 31 and free changes to inbound flights from
Bangkok until January 15. Existing bookings may also be amended for
no charge. Until January 15,
Emirates flights back to the UK will overnight in Dubai, with
accommodation provided.

FCO advice: check with tour operators that their
resort island is operating normally.

General situation: west coast is unaffected,
while 48 hotels have been damaged in southern and eastern coastal
areas. Twenty two are still operational and all but seven should
reopen within three months.  Some of the worst affected are the
24-room Club Bentota, the 101-room Bayroo Beach Hotel, 160-room
Triton Hotel, Nilaveli Beach Hotel, and hotels in Arugam Bay. Some
104 international tourists, including eight Britons, have been
killed with 64 still missing. The Sri Lankan Tourist Board claims
it will lose at least $200 million in income, and expects to lose
20% of visitors for 2005.

Operator response: operators have cancelled tours
until January 31. The FTO will review the situation later in the
month. TUI UK said customers booked to travel in February and March
will be considered on an individual basis. Alternatives or a refund
will be offered.

FTO director-general Andy Cooper said: “We
had about 2,000 customers there and those doing adventure tours in
the north were allowed to continue, but those in beach destinations
were evacuated.”

Airlines: Colombo Airport has not been affected.
Sri Lankan Airlines is allowing travellers to rebook tickets for a
later date at no extra cost. Refunds are offered until January 15. 
Qatar Airways is offering free cancellations of existing bookings
to Colombo or free change of existing bookings until January
30.

FCO advice: against all non-essential travel to
affected areas on Sri Lanka’s eastern, southern and
southwestern coasts.

General situation: “Business as
usual”, according to the Malaysian Tourist Board. The vast
majority of hotels are functioning normally.

Operator response: business as usual.

FTO director-general Andy Cooper said:
“Passengers were able to continue their
holidays.”

Airlines: Qatar Airways is offering full refunds
or date changes for bookings to Kuala Lumpur until January
15.

FCO advice: Malaysia says the impact has been less
severe than other areas, but recommends travellers check with
travel arrangers.

General situation: Indiatourism UK and Ireland
director Vivek Angram said there had been no foreign casualties and
only some “minor” cancellations to tours. “There
hasn’t been much damage and we don’t expect any kind of
major change to tourism,” he said.

Operator response: business as usual.

FTO director-general Andy Cooper said: “It
had pretty much no effect on customers. Goa and Kerala were
unaffected.”

Airlines: BA and Qatar Airways are allowing
passengers travelling on to affected areas to reroute or postpone
flights before January 31. Gulf Air flies to Madras and reports all
flights are running to schedule.

FCO advice: travellers to the affected southeast
coastal region should check with travel arrangers to ensure it is
safe to proceed.

General situation: the west and north coasts of
the province of Aceh on Sumatra were badly hit by the
tsunami.

Operator response: few operators go to Indonesia,
except for Bali. Bookings to Bali also already impacted by 
heightened Christmas and new year terrorist warnings from the
FCO.

FTO director-general Andy Cooper said:
“There was just a handful of passengers there as it was under
an FCO warning.”

Airlines: all operating as normal.

FCO advice: advises travellers to avoid the west
and north coasts of the province of Aceh and parts of north
Sumatra. Continues to warn of a “high threat” from
terrorism in the country.

• All information correct as Travel Weekly went to press.