Bali voted 'best island'

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Still reeling from the deadly terrorist attacks last October, Bali, Indonesia's prime tourist destination, has been voted as the world's best island by New York-based travel magazine Travel + Leisure.

The Great Barrier Reef islands in Australia and Santorini in Greece were named second and third respectively behind Bali, which won for a third straight year.

The Four Seasons Hotel in Jimbaran, Bali, was voted the second best hotel in Asia, after the Hotel Peninsula in Bangkok, while The Ritz-Carlton Spa in Bali won the best spa in the world.

The awards are expected to revive the tourism industry in Bali, which is still struggling to recover from the deadly terrorist attacks that killed at least 202 people and injured about 350 others, mostly foreigners on Oct. 12, 2002.

The bombings, believed to be the biggest terrorist attack since the September 11 attacks in the United States, significantly reduced the number of foreign tourists visiting Bali in particular, and Indonesia in general.

Travel + Leisure's editor-in-chief Nancy Novogrod handed over the award to Indonesian General Consulate representative in New York Kristio Wahyono during the 8th Annual World's Best Awards in New York last Thursday.

The award is a glamorous event attended by leading players in the tourism industry, including hotels, airlines and restaurants.

The award was based on polling of the magazine's readers.

Travel + Leisure magazine focuses on international tourism and serves as a "guide book" for international travelers and world travel agents.

Sydney in Australia was named the best tourist destination city in the world.

In the airline industry, Singapore Airlines maintained its position as the favorite airline, followed by Cathay Pacific and Virgin Atlantic.