Thursday, July 19, 2007

theory to mystery

We all know how bad natural disasters have affected various tourist spots around the world, and even along that, the affect of other man made crimes on famous cities the world over. But howcome is it, that when such disasters or epidemics happen in such spots that after a while, you see a large increase in tourist flow into that very spot?

9/11 didn't deter people from coming over to the United States, and I don't know whether it had an affect on increasing the number of tourists coming over, but facts remain that it just didn't stop people from coming into the US.

You may also remember that last Tsunami that happened on the South-Eastern coast in places like India, Thailand, and Malaysia. Bali was one of the tourist spots that got hit by the Tsunami, and even after several years, there is an increase in the number of tourists flocking in.

Lately, the Sultanate of Oman had faced severe weather conditions because of the Gonu cyclone that had approached its shores. Oman had faced torrential rains and fierce winds like no other time in its past history. Disaster had spread the Muscat and Sharqiyah regions along with the recent heavy weather conditions that had hit Salalah (that were not part of the Gonu cyclone effect).

This has - however - not stopped tourists from wanting to come and explore the Sultanate especially with tour operators claiming 80% occupancy levels.

So the question is, here, what is the secret behind this sudden burst of tourist flow after such calamities? Shouldn't it push tourists away (i.e.: the circumstances)?

If there are any theories to these incidents, then share them here.

3 comments:

hnd said...

There be maybe quite a bit of psychology here.
1) You lived through history (when something is happening it's always easy to forget that you are seeing history in the making that will be written about in regional history books) when Gonu struck. You also see some of the residual damage still when you drive around Oman and will continue to do so for a time, so it remains to the forefront of your mind thus you find it difficult to understand why people come to visit when all is not as it should be.
2) Generally people have selective / short memories. (I do certainly, but maybe that's more a function of age!) Because some (only) people who live outside the Gulf region do not really know where Oman is the news of the cyclone would have been quickly erased from their memories, thus there is no reason not to come and visit.

Try and think as though you live in Europe or Australasia or somewhere and go through the thought process. Oman has a lot to offer.

Sleepless In Muscat said...

Oman may have a lot to offer but I think of it this way, although we have the money to bring everything back to normal, in two months time it is hardly the time to be celebrating.

I think that Gonu was sent as a warning signal from nature on slowing down the development and progress that Oman is taking on.

hnd said...

Economic diversification and the resultant potential fiscal benefits are likely too tempting for the authorities.
Your thoughts may well be correct.