ASIA Campaigns aim to boost tourism as SARS fears ease

Many tourism officials say that improvement has been swifter than expected.
KNIGHT RIDDER NEWSPAPERS
It's taken almost four months and a lot of creative marketing, but tourism in Asia -- dealt a severe blow this year by the outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) -- is finally rebounding.
Several Asian destinations, among them Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore and Japan, recently launched promotional campaigns intended to lure back visitors who either postponed or canceled trips during the height of the epidemic, which killed 774 people worldwide.
Now, those same places are declaring themselves SARS-free with slogans such as "Taiwan, Touch Your Heart," "Singapore Roars!" and "Hong Kong -- Live it, Love it!"
For travelers, the comeback can mean good deals on flights and packages, at least through the end of the year.
The outbreak "took a heavy toll," said Michael Sheu, deputy director general of the Taiwan Tourism Bureau. "The tourism industry of Taiwan was damaged a lot. But we've been trying to tell the world that Taiwan is free of SARS. Taiwan is a safe place to travel."
In an effort to push their product, Taiwan tourism officials recently sent a delegation to San Francisco; Los Angeles; Washington, D.C.; and New York to court tour operators, airline officials and local media. Each stop included a banquet with a seven-course meal prepared by Taiwanese chefs; musical performances; a slide presentation; and enough travel brochures, DVDs and CDs to fill a handbag -- which is what was handed out.
Apprehension
Considering the severity of the illness, plus apprehension about traveling during the Iraq conflict, it's not surprising that countries are spending considerable time and money to attract tourism and business.
Travel by Americans to Taiwan plunged 87 percent in May and 76 percent in June, compared to the same months in 2002. In Hong Kong, where 299 deaths were recorded, the number of worldwide visitors was down more than 64 percent in April and May. Even in Japan -- where there were no recorded SARS cases but the country suffered from a reduction in flights to Asia -- U.S. arrivals dropped substantially each month for four consecutive months. The total loss in tourism dollars is almost unfathomable. For instance, Taipei alone reported a $1 billion loss in tourism and restaurant business.
But since July 5, when Taiwan became the last Asian country to be removed from the World Health Organization's SARS-affected list, countries have rallied to restore their tourism numbers. (Only one case of SARS has been reported since then, and it was by a Singapore researcher who was contaminated while working in a laboratory.)
Swifter than expected
In fact, while figures haven't quite returned to normal, many tourism officials say that improvement has been swifter than expected, partly because fears of contracting the disease have subsided and partly because of marketing strategies.
In Hong Kong, for instance, a two-month target of attracting 2 million visitors between mid-July and mid-September was reached three weeks early.
And in Singapore, where U.S. arrivals slipped almost 76 percent in May 2003 compared to May 2002, officials are hoping that this month's numbers will match October 2002.
"We're slightly ahead of our expectations" on a month-to-month comparison, said Mark Yeo, the Singapore Tourism Board's vice president for the Western United States, Canada and Central America. "It happened quickly."
Singapore instituted two post-SARS campaigns, the first directed at ethnic travelers who return to visit friends and family in the country, and the second, "Singapore Roars!," aimed at the mainstream market.
At the Singapore Tourism Web site (www.us.singaporeroars.com), there are links to tour operators that had some tempting deals, including a four-night package to Singapore and Malaysia with round-trip airfare, hotels, airport transfers, breakfast and half-day tours for $599 per person from San Francisco, based on double occupancy.
Travelers to Hong Kong can find $650 fares, also from San Francisco, that include round-trip air, hotel for five nights, airport transfers, sightseeing tours and museum admission. Prices are expected to go up soon in anticipation of the Chinese New Year celebration.
Gradual recovery
Other deals found: Japan, which launched a $17 million worldwide "Yokoso Japan" (Japan Welcomes You) campaign recently, had links to agencies offering round-trip airfare and four-night hotel packages from Los Angeles for $858 per person. And visitors to Taiwan can save almost $90 per person on four-day, three-night tours to Taroko Gorge National Park and island excursions ($299 per person).
Taiwan, which is spending nearly $6 million on its campaign, also recently announced that visitors for the first time can claim a VAT (value added tax) refund of five percent on same-store purchases of more than $3,000 Taiwan dollars (about $89 U.S.).
Still, officials are cautious about the recovery.
"The challenge ahead of us is to ensure the revival can be sustained, now that the pent-up demand has been satisfied and most of the irresistible offers have run out," Clara Chong, executive director of the Hong Kong Tourism Board, said in a statement.
"After some rapid catching up since June, we expect the pace of the recovery to become more gradual in the coming months."
Officials said they're hoping that arrivals will return to normal by next year, and some are even projecting significant improvement in the next several years: Sheu said Taiwan hopes to draw 5 million visitors by 2008 after attracting 2.6 million last year; Japan, which had 5.2 million foreign visitors (731,900 from the United States) in 2002, is aiming at 10 million by 2010.