But travel agents expect a slump in outbound trips to Bali and Indonesia generally over the next few months as the majority of Chinese citizens postpone travel plans in the short run.

Anticipating a jittery mood among the public, many major travel agents contacted by China Daily said they have cancelled advertising and promotions for the area.

"It is really bad timing. The bomb blast will put lots of heat on prospective tourists to back pedal on their travel plans. The psychological factor now rules," said Zhang Guangrui, director of tourism research centre under the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

Wang Feng, a local news editor, agreed. He said security is the top concern for people when travelling abroad, and with the blast still fresh in people's minds, it is not worth risking one's life.

"I know that Bali is a wonderful place for fun, but until I am fully convinced that the security situation can be enhanced and that this is an isolated incident, I will have to hedge my bets," said Wang.

But not everyone has been deterred.

A dozen Beijing residents already booked on a November package tour to Bali through the China Travel Service have not changed their holiday plans in the aftermath of the blast.

But the company said yesterday they needed to consider whether to go ahead with the planned trip as scheduled, after Bali, the "jewel in the crown" of Indonesia's tourist industry, is now a land of caution.

A drop in tourism to Bali and Indonesia will not, however, have too great an impact on the Southeast Asia holiday trade at large, travel agents said.

They said the newly opened travel destination was still in its infancy, having begun in March after China and Indonesia clinched a deal to allow Chinese tourists to visit the archipelago island nation.

A lack of direct flights to Bali also added to the expense of tourists heading there. Coupled with long-term concerns of alleged xenophobia in certain quarters, Indonesia is less attractive to Chinese tourists who are more likely to opt for neighbouring countries such as Thailand and Malaysia.

"The bottom line of the impact is minimal," said Jiang Haizhong, director of China Travel Service's Southeast Asia Department.

Wang Fude, director of the Institute of Tourism Research affiliated to the Beijing Second Foreign Language University, believes that the repercussions of the tragedy will have little impact on China's domestic tourism market.

"China has a well established reputation as a safe country and I do not think the blast will affect that," said Wang.

According to the latest data from the National Tourism Administration, China received 8.65 million tourists last month, an increase of 16.7 percent on a year-on-year basis.

A total 72.87 million tourists were recorded as having travelled in China during the January-September period, a growth of 10.78 percent over the same period last year.

There is even a school of thought that suggests the bombings may lead to an even greater flow of foreign visitors into China, especially from America and Europe, who may shy away from Southeast Asia.

(China Daily October 25, 2002)