A Calgary-based company that operates tours across Thailand is urging travellers not to abandon the nation and other stricken countries in Southeast Asia in the wake of deadly tsunamis that killed thousands of locals and foreigners late last month.

Owners of Calgary-based Smiling Albino, a five-year-old company that runs adventure trips across Thailand from an office in Bangkok, say they hope the Boxing Day disaster doesn't deter travellers who have already booked trips to that country and other nations affected.

In e-mail interviews with Business Edge, company founders Scott Coates and Daniel Fraser say they have been overwhelmed by scores of concerned e-mails, phone calls and faxes from clients in Alberta and around the world hoping their business did not suffer losses in the tsunami.

"It's really been incredible," said Coates. "We have always known what a strong and loyal client base we have built up, but it's been really something to see the e-mails and phone calls pour in from so many people over the last week. It's really heartwarming to know so many people out there think about us."

Coates said he and Fraser - along with some of the company's clients or staff - would be heading to some of the damaged areas of Thailand soon to help in any way they can. While west coast regions such as the beach resort of Phuket suffered major damage, Smiling Albino's tours were not affected as the company does much of its work near the capital of Bangkok and in the northern hill-tribe area, along with coastal areas not affected by the tidal waves.

"We don't have any concrete plans as to how we'll assist right now, but one thing we are really doing is advising people to still visit the area in Ao Nang. People shouldn't be double-punished in areas that are open for business," Coates said. "Thinking of people selling food, T-shirts, renting boats, etc. and not making a living is really sad."

However, they have still felt the fallout. "It has indeed been an emotional toll, but that is nothing compared to what others in the world are experiencing," said Coates. "The first few days I was just so busy trying to contact friends, re-arrange trips and sort out the status on certain areas that it didn't sink in."

"It all sort of hit me on the 28th and I just hit a wall, had to go out to a pub and have a pint. It's really something to see something of this scale happen, in areas you've been to, places you want to go and have it impact your business and friends."

The company sent out a special e-mail bulletin to clients to advise them of the tragedy after it unfolded, detailing the hardest hit areas and providing ways for travellers to help out (www.smilingalbino.com/newsletter/01-2004.html).

Several Alberta travel agents say a few of their customers cancelled trips to the stricken regions in the days immediately after the disaster. But most simply chose to delay their trip or alter their destination away from hardest-hit zones such Phuket, Sri Lanka and coastal regions of southern India.

"We are getting lots of phone calls - people are very concerned, no doubt about it," said Reid Morrison, president of Calgary-based Creative Travel Adventures, which specializes in Southeast Asian countries such as Thailand.

"A lot of people are thinking, 'Oh my God, there's going to be disease across the country,' which the World Health Organization and tourism officials don't think will be widespread. However, I would make sure you do have travel insurance if you go."

Morrison said some tour operators, airlines and other suppliers have temporarily relaxed cancellation insurance and other restrictions to allow travellers to alter their plans. He noted that major tourist zones in India and much of Thailand were unaffected by the disaster and they desperately need tourist dollars to sustain their economies.

"I think the majority of people are saying, 'We still want to go to these areas - we need to support the people there.' If a tsunami hit Vancouver, would you tell people to stop going to Calgary?"

Marc-Andre Charlebois, president of the Association of Canadian Travel Agencies (ACTA), said his organization is establishing a taskforce to determine how best to help tourism industry operators in the devastated areas. "We don't want to go out, guns blazing, and just throw money at the problem. We want to do something tangible and work with industry people who are on the ground in these areas to figure out how best to help," he said.

Charlebois said the approximately 20,000 travel agents represented by his group have been "spending a hell of a lot of time on the phone . . . giving information to clients.”

He said many Canadians seem outraged at media images of tourists lounging amid debris on deserted beaches, which he branded "collective dementia."

About two-thirds of the hotels in Phuket, for example, were not damaged by the killer waves and are open for business, Charlebois said from Ottawa. "What better help can you give a region than to spend your time there and your money there? We should not be depriving these areas of their income - our biggest contribution is to keep tourism going there."

(Susan Mate can be reached at sue@businessedge.ca)