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SINGAPORE : As the year-end travel rush approaches, Singaporeans are staying away from places that have been hit by trouble and violence.
Bangkok and Manila are top on the list. The thousands who thronged a travel fair on Friday are avoiding these places for safety reasons.
In Manila, a tour bus was hijacked on Monday and eight Hong Kong tourists were killed during a police assault to end the hostage crisis.
As for Bangkok, it is grappling with sporadic violence. The latest bomb blast occurred in downtown Bangkok on Thursday, seriously injuring a security guard.
Travel agents expect demand to these places to plunge until the dust has settled.
Alicia Seah, senior vice-president, Marketing & PR, CTC Holidays, said: "I think it's a short-term impact. We think that bookings will decrease significantly for about one to two weeks.
"But in the long term, recovery will take place. If they are travelling out of Bangkok, like Phuket or Chiang Mai, and not staying in Bangkok, they will still proceed with their tour bookings."
- CNA/al
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