Bali to refocus tourism market in Asia<\/p>\n
I Wayan Juniartha, The Jakarta Post, Denpasar<\/p>\n
The tourism industry in Bali has been forced to re-focus its
\nmarketing priorities towards Asia, particularly China, a sleeping
\ngiant with great potential, following a decline in direct foreign
\ntourist arrivals in wake of the Sept. 11 attacks.<\/p>\n
Head of Bali Tourism Office I Gde Pitana said in Denpasar,
\nBali on Saturday that there is a general understanding between
\nthe local bureaucracy and tourism officials that they need
\n\"alternative markets, due to the drastic drop in the number of
\nAmerican and European tourists arriving here.\"<\/p>\n
\"China is one of the most promising alternatives,\" he said.<\/p>\n
\"Let's not forget that the Asian and Pacific countries
\ncontribute up to 70 percent of the total amount of direct foreign
\ntourist arrivals,\" he added.<\/p>\n
\"The second alternative is the domestic market,\" he said,
\nreferring to the fact that domestic travelers have helped boost
\nthe island's hotel occupancy rate during difficult months.<\/p>\n
Last September, hotel occupancy rates reached 64.58 percent,
\nbefore falling to 53.48 percent in October, and again to 51
\npercent in November.<\/p>\n
With thousands of domestic travelers flooding Bali for
\nChristmas and New Year's celebrations, the occupancy rate jumped
\nto 73 percent in December.<\/p>\n
The tourist industry, he said, would also increase the scope
\nof its promotion and marketing blitz to include Australia and
\nJapan, traditionally two of Bali's biggest markets.<\/p>\n
\"Japan contributes an average of around 350,000 tourists per
\nyear; Australia around 250,000 tourists,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The Sept. 11 attacks inflicted a heavy toll on the Bali
\ntourist industry, with the overall number of direct foreign
\ntourist arrivals decreasing by 4.9 percent in September 2001,
\ncompared to the same month the year before.<\/p>\n
In October it fell by 25 percent, and the worst took place in
\nDecember when it saw a decrease of 33 percent.<\/p>\n
\"The American market recorded the sharpest decline, with a
\ndecrease averaging 70 percent during those months. Meanwhile,
\nJapanese market was down by 14 percent,\" he said.<\/p>\n
In total, the number of direct foreign tourist arrivals to
\nBali in 2001 dropped by 4.7 percent -- or 1,355,282 tourists,
\ncompared with 1,412,839 tourists in 2000.<\/p>\n
\"We have sent many delegations, members of which included
\nhigh-ranking government officials, to both Japan and China to
\nmend our image there,\" Pitana said.<\/p>\n
\"And we have already received positive responses from both
\ncountries. Next March, China's Foreign Ministry and the Chinese
\nNational Travel Authority (CNTA) will announce Indonesia as a
\ntourism destination for Chinese travelers,\" Pitana said.<\/p>\n
People both markets have a high level of belief in what their
\ngovernment said. \"However, the Japanese market is very sensitive
\nabout health and security matters.\"<\/p>\n
According to Pitana's projection, this year Bali will be able
\nto attract up to 200,000 Chinese travelers, a steep increase from
\n1,767 (Chinese) tourists the island received last year.<\/p>\n
Separately, the chairman of the Association of Indonesian
\nTravel Agents (ASITA) Bali, IGB Yudara, has expressed his
\neagerness to accept the Chinese travelers.<\/p>\n
So far, only 13 out of 300 travel agents have been declared
\nqualified to handle Chinese tourists.<\/p>\n
The 13 travel agents have passed all mandatory requirements
\nissued by the government. One of them says that each travel agent
\nmust employ at least five Mandarin-speaking tour guides.<\/p>\n
Currently, there are only 65 travel agents in all of Indonesia
\nthat are qualified to handle Chinese travelers, including the 13
\nmembers of ASITA.<\/p>\n
The demonstrate its seriousness to catch the Chinese market,
\ngovernment plans to open two consulates -- one in Guangxou and
\none in Shanghai -- in China this year. Other types of \"red tape\"
\nwill also be loosened up and simplified.<\/p>\n
\"The visa application process for Chinese travelers will take
\nmuch less time, and be much cheaper. It will cost only US$10 --
\n$20 less than the previous cost,\" Yudara said.<\/p>\n
Pitana predicted that, by March 2002, the Bali tourist
\nindustry would start recovering from the fallout of the terror
\nattacks of Sept. 11.<\/p>\n
\"Yet, realistically, it will be a slow recovery.\"<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/bali-to-refocus-tourism-market-in-asia-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }