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Calls for a review of travel advisories have won support from an unexpected source and opened a window of opportunity to resolve of a long-standing controversy plaguing tourism relations between developed and developing countries.
A report submitted to Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd calls for the advisories to be reviewed because they affect Australia's wider goals of promoting cultural exchange and educational contacts with those countries against which advisories are in place.
Although the ''Australia 2020'' report has nothing directly to do with the travel and tourism industry, its conclusions, if implemented, will have a significant influence on the broader social, cultural and geopolitical relations between Asia and Australia, of which tourism is very much a part.
The report was the outcome of the Australia 2020 summit initiated by Mr Rudd to shape a long-term strategy for the future of Australia. he invited more than 1,000 Australians from diverse backgrounds to the summit in Canberra last April 19-20. They ranged from experts in specialised fields to ordinary Australians, including farmers, scientists, health professionals, artists and actors, community leaders and lawyers.
The final report, released earlier this month, contains references to bringing Australia back closer to Asia, shedding its image as a ''deputy sheriff'' of the United States and making all Australians conversant in at least one Asian language (like Mr Rudd, who speaks fluent Mandarin) by 2020.
Tourism is mentioned in the report but never as a driver of economic growth. Instead, it is repeatedly cited and recognised for its promotion of rural and agricultural communities, aboriginal culture, and the linkage with Australian arts and heritage.
The small but important mention of travel advisories is buried deep in the report _ and cited in that broader context of their impact on education, cultural exchange and poverty alleviation.
Says the report, ''The possibility of placing Australian students _ both high school and tertiary _ in Asian nations was raised. This concept of a 'reverse Colombo Plan' was discussed in the light of various examples of restrictions on student travel to Asian countries.
''Travel advisory warnings were also cited as an impediment to student exchanges with Asia, which was considered a critical issue for Australia's integration into the Asian region.''
Elaborating on this point in the chapter on education, the report says, ''Some participants argued that restrictive travel advisories are used by universities and travel insurance companies to limit cultural exchange where significant travel warnings are in place. A number of participants asserted that the current system was overly conservative, flawed and inaccurate.
''One participant noted the important role the system plays in protecting the lives of Australians travelling in regions where risks and threats exist. It was agreed that a review of the current system and its use was required.''
A golden opportunity to open a new chapter in settling this issue arose when Prime Minister Rudd visited Indonesia earlier this month. However, the opportunity was lost.
According to a report in The Australian newspaper, tourism from Australia to Indonesia was discussed in the talks between Mr Rudd and Indonesian President Susilo Yudhoyono.However, The Australian quoted Mr Rudd as saying that the advisories were the result of independent conclusions by the National Threat Assessment Centre. He downplayed the issue as being a ''disagreement among friends''.
That comment basically was a reaffirmation of the long-standing Australian party line that ensuring the safety of its citizens abroad is a paramount consideration in the issuance of travel advisories.
Had that call been heeded for a review of travel advisories, Mr Rudd would have been seen to be taking a huge step forward in fulfilling his broader objective of re-engaging Australia with Asia at large, and Indonesia specifically.
Times have changed and such a review is long overdue anyway. Undertaking it will also build on the positive image generated for Australia throughout Asia by the Rudd government's signing of the Kyoto Protocol, the apology to indigenous people and the pullout of Australian troops from Iraq.
At a time when Asia is becoming the fastest-growing source market for Australian tourism, the time is clearly nigh for removal of such obsolete irritants affecting travel.
Imtiaz Muqbil is executive editor of Travel Impact Newswire, an e-mailed feature and analysis service focusing on the Asia-Pacific travel industry.
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