Bali's post-bombing woes continue<\/p>\n
Bhimanto Suwastoyo, Agence France-Presse\/Jakarta<\/p>\n
The demise of a fledgling Indonesian airline shows how the
\ncountry, and especially its major resort island of Bali, is still
\nsuffering from the after-effects of terrorism, the tsunami and
\nbird flu.<\/p>\n
Less than three years after it was set up, Bali-based Air
\nParadise International flew its last flight on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
\"I apologize to the people of Bali and those in the Bali
\ntourism (industry). Under these conditions, we are forced to halt
\nthe operation of Air Paradise,\" Kadek Wiranatha, company chairman
\nand owner of the airline said when announcing the decision in
\nBali on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
He said the airline, which had concentrated on the Australian
\nmarket after closing its routes to Japan and South Korea a few
\nmonths ago, had immediately began to feel the pinch from the Oct.
\n1 attacks in Bali, with flight cancellations pouring in as early
\nas the morning after the blasts.<\/p>\n
Wiranatha's statement clearly struck home.<\/p>\n
\"One flight less means fewer incoming tourists and multiplied
\nseveral times, the effect ... is quite big for Bali's tourism,\"
\nsaid Alwi Bariya, vice chairman of the Bali chapter of the
\nIndonesian Tourism Association (ITA).<\/p>\n
I Gede Wiratha, who heads the Bali chapter of the Indonesian
\nChamber of Commerce and Industry and is also Wiranatha's brother,
\nsaid the recent series of calamaties that have befallen Indonesia
\nhad undercut tourism.<\/p>\n
Since the nighclub bombings in Bali in 2002 that killed 202
\npeople, mostly foreign tourists, Indonesia has had to deal with
\nthe Dec. 26, 2004, tsunami which devastated northern Sumatra,
\nrecurring outbreaks of bird flu and a fresh series of bomb
\nattacks, including Bali again.<\/p>\n
\"Air Paradise is a casualty, but not the only one, of the
\nseries of misfortunes that has hit our country in recent times,\"
\nWiratha said.<\/p>\n
He expressed pessimism that Bali's 7.7 percent 2005 growth
\ntarget could be met as 95 percent of its economy is generated by
\nthe private sector which in turn is over 80 percent dependent on
\nbusinesses linked to tourism.<\/p>\n
\"Bali has no natural resources. It depends largely on
\ntourism,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Bariya said \"we are now feeling a drop of some 42 percent in
\nforeign tourist arrivals.<\/p>\n
\"Just take my company. From an average of 30 to 50 bookings
\nper day ... prior to the bombings, we are now down to about six
\nper day,\" he said of his travel agency.<\/p>\n
He said that while Australian and East Asians were more
\nworried about terrorism, Europeans appeared more fearful of bird
\nflu which has killed at least seven people in Indonesia.<\/p>\n
Although he could not immediately give a precise figure, he
\nsaid that the number of tourists from Australia to Indonesia has
\nfallen \"drastically\" since the October 1 Bali bombings which
\nkilled 20 people plus the three bombers.<\/p>\n
\"Especially since the video was shown where this hooded
\nterrorist warned that Australia was among their targets for
\nterror, sentiment in Australia is certainly not in favor of
\nvisiting Indonesia, including Bali, for the time being,\" Bariya
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
\"With the bird flu and the bombings, it is like we not only
\nfell from a ladder but we were hit by it as well.\"<\/p>\n
Subroto, Vice President of the Indonesian Tourism Industry
\nAssociation, conceded the country's tourism industry was facing
\ndire times.<\/p>\n
Everyone, and not only the government, \"should work hard to
\nrestore our good image and remedy ... problems of security and
\nother weaknesses,\" he said.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/balis-post-bombing-woes-continue-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}