Bali lures tourists

JAKARTA (JP): The Bali Tourism Consultative Board will launch a massive campaign abroad to restore the resort island's tarnished image.

I Gde Wiratha, the vice chairman of the board, said in Denpasar on Saturday that the campaign would start in February next year in the province's major tourist markets, including Australia, Japan, Europe and the United States.

He said Australia would get the first priority as most foreign tourists visiting the resort island came from there.

Many buildings and stores were set on fire and looted in late October when locals were angry following the defeat of Megawati Soekarnoputri, the leader of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan), in the presidential race. The chaos, however, was calmed the following day after their favorite was elected vice president.

Wiratha, who is also the chairman of the local branch of the Association of Indonesian Hotels and Restaurants, said the unrest severely damaged the image of the island as a safe and beautiful place to visit.

Wiratha said the monthly tourist arrivals fell by more than 25 percent in October to 103,966 from 134,660 in September, partly due to the unrest. (06)