Australian travelers return to paradise island of Bali
Wahyoe Boediwardhana, The Jakarta Post, Denpasar
Bali was previously regarded as a safe holiday ground for many Australians. Surfers danced to Bali's wild sea waves, while party-goers hung out in Kuta's most glittering pubs and cafes.
To these travelers, Bali has been their second home, for its close proximity to their own homeland Down Under.
After the 2002 terrorist attack in this island that claimed 202 lives, mostly Australians and Indonesians, their former play ground looked more susceptible than it used to be. Furthermore, the issuance of travel advisories by other countries, including the United States and Australia after the Kuta incident had deeply affected the island's tourism industry.
Consider this: the number of Australians visiting Bali sharply dropped from 11,535 people in Oct. 2002 to only 3,685 in the following month (Nov. 2002). While the number of incoming visitors from January to September 2002 was 162,029, second only to Japan with 262,405 visitors in the same period.
I Gede Pitana, head of Bali Tourism Office, confirmed that one-year after the bombing, Australian visitors were returning to Bali.
"Previously, most of them were afraid to come to Bali because of that traumatic event. Later, they gradually realized the fact that accidents could happen anywhere and at anytime," Pitana said, adding that he had visited Australia nine times after the Oct. 12 tragedy.
The visit was mainly aimed at learning about the present situation in the Australian tourism industry and to find ways to regain the trust of the Australian market.
"For the majority of Australian holidaymakers, travel warnings imposed by their government against visiting Bali was not an issue of security but a political issue. Such a policy hardly touches on the people," Pitana claimed.
In order to attract more Australians to Bali, Pitana launched a special People-to-People Travel approach rather than Government-to-Government programs.
Pitana said many Australian people positively responded to the approach, saying that they felt sympathetic and shared the sadness of many Balinese people.
"Australian and Balinese people experienced similar grievances caused by the bombing," Pitana said.
Meanwhile, Minister of Culture and Tourism I Gede Ardika agreed that the People-to-People approach could effectively target the Australian market.
"Australian citizens are dynamic and critical of any policy imposed by their own government," the minister explained.
While the Japanese people will abide by any of their government's policies, especially when dealing with security issues.
Ardika said that as many as 270 travel agents operating in Australia were now ready to promote Balinese holiday packages to their clients. "They are now seeking the proper formula to lure back Australian tourists to Bali," the minister asserted.
This tourism-marketing concept will focus more on personalized promotional campaigns, while maintaining the government-to- government approach at the macro level.
"But, of course such a marketing strategy will be applied to countries that have great potential," said Ardika.
He added that he felt optimistic that the marketing strategy would have a positive impact on the Bali tourism industry in particular and other destinations in Indonesia as well.
Ardika said that since January 2003, the number of Australian visitors arriving in Bali had drastically increased from only 4,963 in January 2003 to 17,284 in September 2003.
The number of Australian visitors between January and September amounted to 96,763 people, in third place for number of tourist arrivals after Taiwan and Japan.
Taiwan sent around 135,026 visitors until September 2003, while Japan had 127,297 visitors in the same period. In 2002, the number of Japanese tourists visiting Bali had reached 262,402.
David John Aston, 66, a frequent traveler to Bali, considered the Australian government's travel policy on Bali unwise. He questioned the importance of imposing travel warnings against Indonesia.
"I was wondering why the (Australian) government forbids its citizens from traveling to Bali. Despite the warnings, many of my friends and families still come to Bali."
He went on to say that a lot of friends in Australia had called him asking about the real situation on the island. Aston kept saying that Bali had been as safe as before despite the bombing tragedy.
Wardhana, an official at the Bali Tourism Office, added that numerous travel agents, hotel operators and other travel-related industries had sent letters and e-mails encouraging their colleagues in Bali to remain in business.
"They insisted that they want to revisit Bali despite the travel warning," Wardhana said, quoting the letters.
Lyn Burkhad, 70, a German-born Australian citizen, takes Bali as her second home.
"I don't care much about the Australian government's travel policy. I still come to Bali and will always visit the island," Burkhad confirmed.
She said however that the short appearance of Australian Prime Minister John Howard at the first commemoration of the Oct. 12 bombing tragedy in Kuta and Jimbaran was a good sign.
"He was the one who imposed the travel warning, but it doesn't matter. Many Australians may think that Bali is safe again," she said.