Australia moves out of tourist radar after racist attacks on Indians
Australia moves out of tourist radar after racist attacks on Indians
With no end in sight to the attacks on Indian students in Australia, tourists here are thinking twice about an Oz vacation. Tour operators in the city admitted that enquiries for Australia as a holiday destination have dropped after the attacks. If this continues, business may be affected by a good 25 per cent, they said.
A South Mumbai resident who had planned a honeymoon in Australia cancelled his plans after the attacks. "We don't want to spoil our holidays. Why take a risk? We are considering other destinations," he said.
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"Business and leisure tourists have become very apprehensive over going to Australia," revealed Manoj Gurusahani, owner of Travel Mart India. The Australian Dy PM, Julia Gillard's statement that the attacks were not racially motivated did not inspire faith in the government's ability to ensure safety.
"If the situation continues, there will be a 25 per cent drop in business as Australia is the preferred holiday destination at this time," he said.u00a0
Pradip Lulla, president of Travel Agents Federation of India (TAFI) and owner of Cupid Travel & Tours, confirmed the trend, "Clients who have already booked their tickets have either postponed or cancelled their visits. We have observed that since the incident took place, enquiries for Australian tours have stopped," said Lulla.u00a0 He also said that there was no official communication from the Australian Consulate on travel advisories.
Restore normalcy
Keeping this in mind, Travel Agents Association Of India (TAAI) has decided to make a representation to the Australian Commission, urging them to quickly restore normalcy.
"Indians have stepped back when it comes to Australia. Many Indian students whose colleges begin this September and are supposed to leave for Australia are worried about the situation," said Anoop Kanuga, chairman of Western Region, TAAI.
Filmy chakkar
The Indian Motion Picture Producers' Association (IMPPA) has written a letter to the Australian High Commission voicing their concern over the spate of racial attacks on Indian students in Australia.
IMPAA feels such attacks may hinder film shoots in Australia.
The association has also demanded protection for film personalities.
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