Bali-SingaporeAirlines-promotion

JP/18/SIA

'Enchanting Bali' and boarding pass aim to lure guests to Bali

Rita A.Widiadana The Jakarta Post/Denpasar

It was a rainy April morning, unusual weather for normally sunny Bali. This was a result of minor cyclone Juliet, which swept through East Indonesian waters from April 7 through April 10.

That did not prevent journalists and travel writers from Singapore and the Philippines from enjoying a wild rafting adventure on the Ayung River in Ubud, north of Denpasar.

"That was probably one of the most compelling programs I've experienced on the island," exclaimed Anwar Hashim, senior editor of Today in Singapore.

"I always think that we can lie on white sand under the hot sun, but it was rain for the last three days I was here," added Therese Jamora-Garceau from The Star, the Philippines.

The three-day program included a day at Waterbom park, staying at Melia Bali Villas and Spa Resort in Nusa Dua, shopping and dining in Bali's most prestigious establishments in Nusa Dua and Ubud and of course, indulging oneself at Martha Tilaar Spa. What a holiday!

This is part of Singapore Airlines' (SIA's) new boarding pass program to provide passengers flying Singapore to Denpasar or other routes significant discounts, which range from 15 percent to 50 percent off the published rates of the company's business partners in Bali.

"Since January, we launched the boarding pass program to enable passengers to enjoy their holiday in Bali. It is also parts of our effort to promote Bali as a hot destination for Singaporeans and other nationalities flying with us," explained manager of Singapore Airlines' Bali office Andrew HW Tan.

He added that after SARS and the Asian tsunami it was quite difficult to attract visitors to Bali. "You know that Bali and Banda Aceh are thousands of miles apart, but overseas visitors know only that Bali is part of Indonesia, which was stricken by the disaster.

"The program aims at giving a "buzz" about Bali. We want people to come again to Bali and to experience a safe and memorable holiday and business on the island," Andrew said, adding that SIA has direct Denpasar to Singapore flights three times a day.

The program's main target is passengers flying both short-haul (within southeast Asia and Asia) and long-haul, especially from Europe and the United States, he noted.

"We are also targeting Singaporeans," added Febe Indah of SIA. Before the Oct.12, 2002, Bali bombing, many Singaporean thought that Bali was an expensive holiday destination.

"People might skip Bali for fear of having to spend too much money. As the result, they mostly go to resorts in Thailand and neighboring Malaysia. Bali was never on their list," Febe said.

Bali, she said, offers competitive prices." With the boarding pass program (valid for six days), passengers can get a lot of discounts and other benefits," she noted.

In addition to its boarding pass program, SIA has also relaunched its "Enchanting Bali" program, which is valid during the low season from February to June.

"Right after the Bali bombing, we ran "Enchanting Bali" for several months to lure back visitors to Bali. Now, we've relaunched the program to remind our agents worldwide that Bali is worth visiting," Andrew said.

He continued that the company had invited major travel agents from Germany, Hungary and other countries to visit Bali.

"There are many good programs but ours are a sincere attempt to improve Bali's tourism business," Andrew said.