Tourism: Two steps back for the island's major industry

Backpackers were not deterred for long; an estimated 2,000 British independent travellers were on the island at the time of the latest blasts. More lucrative upmarket tourism, however, took much longer to recover. The impact of yesterday's attack will represent two steps back for the island.

Indonesia's second blacklisting, an inevitable consequence of the latest carnage, could well last longer than the first. A travel "ban" has no legal force for independent travellers, but backpackers are now likely to take much more seriously the Foreign Office intelligence suggesting "terrorists are planning further attacks on Westerners".

Optimists will point to the resilience shown by UK visitors to Egypt. But there are two big differences. The first is proximity; the other is that Egypt has somehow evaded the Foreign Office blacklist. Indonesia is not so fortunate. The aftershocks of yesterday's blasts will destroy the livelihoods of countless families in Bali and beyond.

Foreign Office travel advice: 0845 850 2829