The nightly film clips of last month's tsunami are beginning to subside, but there's a quiet debate within the travel industry: Should Indian Ocean resorts still in business advertise for guests? And should the ethical traveler book a ticket to, say, Phuket, Thailand? Our Savvy Traveler, Rudy Maxa, says, "Yes."

Until Christmas, the beach resorts of Thailand, Sri Lanka and the Maldives were considered heaven in earth. Then hell arrived.

Depsite the devastation and a six-figure death toll caused by the December tsunami, the fact is, many tourism sites and hotels were largely untouched Thai tourism officials say 68 per cent of Phuket's hotel rooms are fully operational. So are 90 per cent of the hotels on Krabi. Those two southern Thailand destinations received much of the news coverage that followed the tsunami.

Even hard-hit Sri Lanka reports only a quarter of its hotels are closed. And tourism authorities expect almost all major beach hotels will be open by the end of February. The majority of the resorts on the Maldives islands are still welcoming guests.

At first glance, the idea of vacationing in the wake of a natural disaster seems like the height of bad taste, a slap in the face to the survivors who are scrambling for food and shelter. But ask the people who live and work in those countries. Tourism is a giant engine that drives their economies. And locals as well as government officials are pleading that the world not cross them off their travel plans.

Tourism will allow victims to work again and rebuild their lives. The lack of tourism will further crush them. I speak as someone who owns a place in Bangkok and has a strong affection for the Thai people. You will NOT find resentment if you travel to southeast Asia. You will still find a gentle, hospitable--and, now, grateful--welcome in Thailand, Sri Lanka, the Maldives as well as Malaysia and India. Recovery is happening quickly. Do your research and ask honest questions about a destination that might interest you. And keep this in mind: Travelers aren't part of the problem. They're a big part of the solution.

From St. Paul, I'm Rudy Maxa for Marketplace.

February 09, 2005