Bali fears tsunami could affect recovery<\/p>\n
Slobodan Lekic, Associated Press\/Bali<\/p>\n
Still recovering from terrorist attacks and the SARS crisis,
\nIndonesia's premier travel destination is facing a new concern -
\na possible downturn because of the earthquake and tsunami
\ndisaster.<\/p>\n
Although not directly affected by the waves that devastated
\nthe northern tip of Sumatra some 2,800 kilometers (1,800 miles)
\naway, many people in Bali are worried that the Dec. 26 tragedy
\ncould derail their fledgling recovery.<\/p>\n
\"We have had cancellations by foreigners in the past month,\"
\nsaid Sri Uluwati, manager of a complex of villas for rent in
\nBali's exclusive Seminyak district. \"We managed to rent some
\nvillas to drop-in tourists, but this is not good news.\"<\/p>\n
Travel agents say that tourist arrivals from Japan and
\nAustralia -- Indonesia's biggest markets -- dipped only slightly
\nafter the tsunami because visitors from the Pacific rim region
\nknow that Sumatra is at the other end of Indonesia's vast
\narchipelago.<\/p>\n
Still, many industry operators are furious with the government
\nin Jakarta for allegedly doing nothing to explain this fact to
\npotential visitors from other parts of the world, who may be less
\nfamiliar with Indonesia's geography.<\/p>\n
Bali resorts and other businesses broadcast banner headlines
\non their websites to inform interested guests that the island is
\nfar away from the tsunami-affected coastlines of Sumatra.<\/p>\n
With over US$5 billion in earnings, Indonesia's tourism sector
\nhas emerged in the past decade as one of the country's largest
\nnon-energy, foreign-currency earners. Bali accounts for about 60
\npercent of the industry's income.<\/p>\n
But the number of visitors plummeted in the wake of the
\nterrorist bombings in October 2002 that killed more than 200
\npeople at two nightclubs in Bali's Kuta district, most of them
\nforeigners.<\/p>\n
The slump, which saw the number of visitors drop to about
\n990,000 from 1,290,000 the previous year, was exacerbated by the
\nsevere acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) outbreak that curtailed
\ntravel throughout Asia in 2003 and general uncertainty generated
\nby the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq.<\/p>\n
Nearly a third of Bali's workers lost their jobs, officials
\nestimated. Resort restaurants were eerily empty and many hotels
\nhad so few guests that owners closed them down for maintenance.<\/p>\n
Bali had been a destination since the 1930s for travelers
\nseeking a tranquil refuge at an exotic island retreat. It became
\ninternationally famous for lush tropical jungles, dramatic
\nvolcanic scenery, emerald green rice terraces and elaborate
\ntemples.<\/p>\n
Bali's culture and physical beauty fueled the tourism sector's
\nexpansion for decades. That was deflated overnight by the
\nbombing.<\/p>\n
More than two years on, the island outwardly seems on track
\nfor a full recovery. Tourist numbers rose steadily, and in 2004
\nhit a record 1,450,000 arrivals. But earnings have lagged behind
\nthose prior to the 2002 bombings, and the economy remains
\nvulnerable.<\/p>\n
Since the bombing \"we have only been getting tourists from
\nthis region whose length of stay is short. Long-haul tourists
\nfrom Europe have still not returned,\" said Meity Robot, vice
\nchairman of the Indonesian Tourism Council.<\/p>\n
But Meity is hopeful the tsunami -- which killed more than
\n123,000 people in northern Sumatra -- will not have a long-term
\neffect on tourism.<\/p>\n
\"Yes, the tsunami will have some impact on Indonesia's tourism
\nindustry, but it will not be significant,\" she said. \"We are
\nstill known for great surfing and diving, exotic lifestyle,
\nscenery and warm hospitality.\"<\/p>\n
She noted that foreign governments had issued travel warnings
\nfor tsunami-hit destinations such as Phuket in Thailand, which
\ncould make Bali a more attractive alternative.<\/p>\n
Residents dependent upon the tourist trade dreading the
\npossibility of another downturn.<\/p>\n
\"I lost my job after the Kuta bombings,\" said Dodi Rizal, a
\ntaxi driver in Bali's provincial capital, Denpasar. \"Of course we
\nare all worried that this could happen again because of the
\ntsunami.\"<\/p>\n
Nini, a waitress in a restaurant on Seminyak's trendy Jl.
\nOberoi, remembers the empty beaches, shops, hotels and nightspots
\nthat followed the terrorist attack.<\/p>\n
\"We pray that the (effects of the) tsunami will not hit us
\nhere,\" said Nini.<\/p>\n
\"It has caused enough devastation in Aceh.\"<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/bali-fears-tsunami-could-affect-recovery-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }