Exterior of Brussels Airport after the bombing. Credit: @News_Executive
TOURISM organisations worldwide have swiftly shown their support for those affected by the bombings in Brussels yesterday, while at the same time condemning the attack and urging governments to work together to fight the global terrorism threat.
The bombings, which ISIS has claimed responsibility for, had resulted in at least 34 dead and more than 200 injured. Citizens of the US, Spain, and Sweden are among the injured.
Transportation hubs in Brussels were the targets in this attack, with Brussels Airport in Zaventem and Maelbeek station in the city center hit.
Two bombs first struck the airport at around 8.00 local time, killing 11. Both went off in the departure hall area, shattering window glass and sending ceiling tiles falling to the ground. The airport was shut down immediately and remains closed today, with flights either being cancelled or diverted.
After the attack on the airport, a third bomb later exploded at Maelbeek metro station at around 9.10, killing more than 20. Trains will remain running but at reduced frequencies.
The UNWTO expressed in an official statement its condolences to the families and friends of the victims soon after news of the attack, saying they are in “full solidarity with the people and the government of Belgium”.
Taleb Rifai, UNWTO secretary-general, added: “This is not an attack on Belgium, it is an attack on us all and sadly these tragic events remind us again that we are facing a global threat that needs to be addressed globally.”
David Scowsill, president and CEO, WTTC, also expressed his condolences, and went on to urge governments worldwide to work more closely to combat terrorism, to increase security measures on the ground, and to expand intelligence sharing.
“Enhancing security does not mean closing down borders. We encourage governments to make policy decisions that balance safety of their citizens with continuing to facilitate travel for business and leisure purposes,” he pointed out.
As well, Greeley Koch, executive director, Association of Corporate Travel Executives (ACTE), conveyed his sympathies, adding that “the best way to fight fear and intimidation is through duty of care programmes that protect and reassure travellers in proximity to senseless acts of terror.”
According to him, ACTE members, which consist of travel managers, in Europe and around the world, activated security programmes that located travellers and provided them with information critical to their safety as soon as they realised the danger.
Meanwhile, travel booking platforms such as Cologne-headquartered HRS have announced free cancellations for booked trips to Brussels as a service to their clients.
The situation in Brussels remain tense with the Belgian government having raised the security threat level in the country to its maximum. The US embassy in Brussels has also urged US citizens to avoid public places and mass transportation there, while warning of further attacks in Europe.
A perpetrator of the attack remain on the loose but local authorities have identified the man as 25-year-old Najim Laachraoui, and are on the hunt for him. Two other attackers seem to have committed suicide attacks.
