PATA Travel Mart Will Go on as Planned

As Indonesia feels the effects of several earthquakes, with the latest measuring 7.5 on the Richter scale, the Pacific Asia Travel Association is reassuring those planning on attending PATA Travel Mart 2007 in Bali September 25 through 28. In an e-mail, Sheila Leong, director of events for PATA, writes: "Fortunately last night's quake and its aftershocks seem to have caused relatively minor damage (compared to December 26, 2004), though we deeply sympathize with the families affected by them. Today, I spoke to senior representatives from our PTM2007 official destination management company, Pacto Convex, who assured me that businesses are operating as usual in Bali and Jakarta. We believe that the travel and tourism industry in Indonesia will not be adversely affected by this; just as we will, of course, proceed with the record-breaking PATA Travel Mart 2007 in Bali later this month."