Foreign and local tourists flock back to Bali island Rita A.Widiadana, The Jakarta Post, Denpasar

The number of foreign tourists visiting Bali has continued to increase over the past few months, thanks to the improved security situation.

The deadly terrorist attack that hit the resort island in October, 2002, scared away not only foreign tourists, but also local visitors.

The number of foreign tourists started to increase in January this year, and continued to rise in the following months.

"We see some light at the end of the tunnel. We are now starting to receive more booking and inquiries from travel agents around the world, who had previously excluded Bali as a major destination for their clients," explained I Gede Adhita, Sanur Beach Hotel's marketing and communications manager.

Soon after the Bali bombings, travel agents from Europe and the United States, particularly, excluded Bali as a prime holiday destination.

"Things are getting better. With a conducive political and security condition, we expect that the hotel and tourist industry in Bali, and other parts of Indonesia, will enter its recovering period smoothly," he said.

Regardless of the security condition over the last two years, Bali is still regarded as one of the world's favorite destinations, as stated by a recent survey conducted by Time Asia.

It is encouraging to see European and American travelers returning to Bali.

Although Japan, Australia and Taiwan still dominate Bali's tourism market, tourists from other countries, including from Southeast Asia -- such as Singapore and Malaysia -- have begun to flock back to Bali.

The tragedy dramatically changed the island's tourist industry, which had focused on the traditional market, like Europe, the United States, Australia and Japan.

In recent years, the market shifted to regional countries, as well as the new emerging market, including Russia, China, the Middle East and South America. The domestic market, which was previously ignored by many star-rated hotels on the island, also became a target of campaigns to promote Bali.

Renata Hutasoit, director of business development at the Grand Hyatt in Nusa Dua Bali, said that the number of local guests continued to increase.

"We received more guests from Jakarta, Surabaya and other big cities in Indonesia, in addition to our overseas clientele," said Renata.

She said the Grand Hyatt was increasingly receiving bookings for corporate meetings (MICE). "Even after the bombing in Kuningan, Jakarta, we still get inquires from overseas tour groups," she said.

Similarly, The Westin Resort, also in Nusa Dua, experienced better business this year. Today (Sunday), the Westin is hosting more than 800 employees of Japan-based Teraoka Seisakusho, Co.Ltd., as part of the company's 70th anniversary celebrations.

The strengthening of the hotel industry here is evident in the surge in occupancy rates over the past nine months. The majority of star-rated hotels in Kuta, Nusa Dua, Ubud, Sanur areas reported an occupancy rate of between 60 percent to 90 percent since last June, as compared to 30 percent to 60 percent in the same period of last year.

Wiwin Ong, director of sales and marketing at Hotel Padma Bali in Kuta, said that the hotel's occupancy rate was now more than 90 percent. "We anticipated the flood of customers, especially domestic clientele in the coming Idul Fitri holiday and year-end holiday," she said.

Deddy Sasmita, marketing and communications manager at the Hard Rock Hotel in Kuta, shared this optimism. "Hotels in Kuta are usually fully booked in the holiday season. Hard Rock Hotel is popular with young executives as well as families who are young at heart," he said.

Visitors to Bali have plenty of choices when it comes to hotels. The island provides abundant accommodation to suit everyone, from backpackers to wealthier tourists. Kuta is the best place for those looking for nightlife, while Nusa Dua and Jimbaran areas are good choices for honeymooners.

Tanjung Benoa now has a number of luxury hotels, like The Conrad Bali. "We have been doing tremendous business since the opening of the hotel early this year. Our average occupancy rate reaches 80 percent, but we are still offering interesting packages for Idul Fitri, Christmas and New Year holidays," said Anastasia Lijadi, director of communications at The Conrad.

In addition to these favorite spots, Ubud is a must-see place in Bali, particularly for art lovers.

Ririn Setyowati, executive secretary of Alila Ubud in Payangan, Gianyar said business had been steady in 2004.

"We mostly serve European guests and only a few domestic ones," she added.

Hoteliers in Bali are confident that tourists are no longer afraid to mark the island as the top location on their travel itineraries.