The catering industry in the Netherlands has agreed to introduce a smoking ban as of Jan. 1 in hotels, restaurants and snack bars, Dutch media reported Wednesday.

The hospitality industry's trade association Koninklijke Horeca Nederland (KHN) gave Dutch Health Minister Ab Klink the assurance Tuesday. But the association asked the minister to exempt pubs, cafes and discos from a total smoking ban until 2011.

Klink, who plans to introduce an absolute smoking ban in all catering services in 2008, said he is sticking to his initial plan but will consider the sector's arguments.

The minister will decide next month whether to introduce the ban in 2008.

The KHN, which has for the past few years objected to a smoking ban in the catering sector, changed its mind following talks with its members.

"Three years ago we thought that a smoking ban would lead to a dramatic loss of turnover, but this is no longer the case," said KHN director Jeu Claes.

"The public have since become used to smoking bans. But it is still too soon for cafes and discos, where serious losses are feared if a smoking ban is introduced at a moment's notice," he said.

He stressed that pubs serving meals should also become smoke free, just like regular restaurants.

To accommodate smokers, Claes said every hotel and eating establishment should be given the option of creating specially designated smoking areas, as is done by almost every company.

However, the proposal to gradually introduce a smoking ban in the catering sector met opposition from the Dutch Association for Public Health and Smoking (Stivoro). The organization says the health of a barman in a cafe is just as important as that of a waiter in a restaurant.

Neighboring Belgium introduced a ban for half of the catering industry in January this year leading to great confusion, Stivoro says.

The Netherlands introduced a smoking ban in the workplace and public transport on Jan. 1, 2004. But the government's plan to create smoke-free hotels and restaurants has met immense resistance from the industry.