Bali again named Asia's favorite holiday destination

Bali again named Asia's favorite holiday destination

Antara, Jakarta

Last Saturday's bomb explosions in Kuta, Bali did not stop TIME
Asia magazine from again naming the island resort as "The
Favorite Holidays Destination in Asia".

"I earlier assumed that the conferring of the award would be
canceled by TIME, following the Bali bombing. Quite the
contrary, however, we have been accorded deep sympathy by various
quarters," Setyanto P Santosa, head of the Culture and Tourism
Development Board, said here on Friday.

Setyanto explained that TIME did not come to the decision to
confer the award to Bali on whims.

He said the honor was concluded by a survey of TIME Asia
magazine readers in 13 countries.

"The Favorite Holidays Destination in Asia" award was handed
over to the Indonesian government, represented by Setyanto, in a
ceremony in Singapore on Thursday.

Upon his return to Jakarta on Friday, Setyanto said the award
was received at an opportune time when the Indonesian tourism
community is facing an ordeal, following the bombing incident in
Bali which claimed 184 lives.

"We (Indonesians) should be proud of Bali, which has obviously
gone international," he said.

Setyanto noted that the conferring of the award is an
objective proof of Bali being a worthy holiday destination.

Before the tragedy, Bali was visited by 50,000 to 70,000
foreign tourists every week.

Since 1998, he said, the number of tourists visiting Bali has
been relatively stable.

In 2000, Bali chalked up a 4.56 percent growth in tourist
arrivals, while the figure for the first half of 2001 was 5.6
percent.

On the average, foreign tourists' length of stay in Bali was
12 days, way above Indonesia's national average of 4.8 days, with
daily spending of US$125 to $150 by each tourist.