Geographic misconception is causing travelers to reconsider visiting Indonesia. Regardless of the fact that for years, foreign visitors have been prohibited from visiting Aceh, one of 33 provinces in Indonesia and the only area—along with nearby islands—affected by several recent earthquakes and the massive December 26th tusnami. It is this misinformation that Bali Hotels Association is campaigning to correct. Bali, Indonesia’s top tourism gateway, remains 100% unaffected by these recent disasters.

Bali lies some 2,700 km east of Aceh. That is about the same distance between London and Moscow, Boston and Denver, Los Angeles and Mexico City or Darwin and Perth. Aceh has been closed to foreign visitors for decades and is not a tourism destination.

According to a recent international survey by Visa Asia Pacific, endorsed by the World Tourism Organization, 9 percent of international travelers planning a 2005 holiday have no plan to visit other regions. For those bound for Asia, 30 percent said there are countries they wouldn’t consider visiting. Of 5,059 respondents interviewed in 10 countries, most concerning to BHA was to hear that 63 percent felt Indonesia had severely been affected by the tsunami, compared to 49 percent who felt Thailand was severely affected.

Respondents sited infrastructure, facilities and services, health and safety in concern for not visiting affected regions, as well as feeling it improper to visit areas where locals are facing difficulties. “Frankly, these concerns are a bit ridiculous, in view of the distance of Aceh from Indonesia’s tourism sites or even the Jakarta capital which is a two-hour flight from Aceh,” said BHA Chairman.

Visa’s research found that the tsunami least impacted travel decisions, with about 20 percent of respondents saying it made them more likely to visit affected areas. “Visiting affected countries actually is a way to help the communities and economies recover,” said Kelsall, noting that direct BHA had collected and contributed US$41,000 in cash relief funds from association members, hotel guests and members of the public.