Contracts signed at the Bali Travel Mart 2000 tour expo

NUSA DUA, Bali (JP): Several tours and travel-related firms participating in the four-day Bali Travel Mart (BTM) 2000 here have managed to close deals with foreign buyers.

Until Sunday afternoon, Le Meridien Nirwana Golf and Spa Resort had signed contracts with three wholesale travel agencies from Australia.

Le Meridien sales manager Tanti Trayono said that the three agencies would include the resort in their tour packages to be sold to Australian tour operators.

Tanti did not name the wholesalers.

Le Meridien Nirwana Gold and Spa Resort is an exclusive resort area located at Tanah Lot beach, 20 km west of Denpasar, the island's capital.

Matahari Beach Resort and Spa and White Rose Hotel had also closed deals with wholesalers from Australia and Japan, as well as local buyers.

Matahari is a 32-room resort hotel located on Singaraja Pemuteran beach, 140 km North of Denpasar, while the White Rose is located in the popular Kuta area.

Details and values of the contracts signed as of Sunday will only be available after the closing of the event on Tuesday.

The mart is being participated in by at least 106 sellers including hotels, tour operators, domestic airlines as well as buyers from England, Greece, Australia, Japan, Spain, South Korea, Thailand, Germany, France, Singapore and the U.S.

But the number of participants is smaller than last year's event.

Some sellers have complained about the organization of BTM 2000, pointing to the small number of visitors and the limited time provided to the sellers woo buyers.

"We have pay a lot of money -- Rp 8 million (US$941.17) -- for a booth, but no more than 50 buyers have came. The time available is also limited," said seller.

Others criticized the event's poor coordination.

"Yesterday, buyers were scheduled to visit a hotel in Buleleng. But without any prior notice, the visit was canceled. The hotel, which had made preparations and waited for hours, was disappointed," another seller said.

Vice chairman of BTM 2000 Suryawan said that the organizers were facing an estimated financial loss of around Rp 400 million because money from leasing booths and sponsors could not cover the event's total cost of Rp 1.2 billion.

But he said that the mission to maintain Bali as a prime tourist destination was successful. (rei/zen)