JP/18/SIA

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 the result of minor cyclone Juliet, which swept
through East Indonesian waters from April 7 through to 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 part
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 to create 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 bombings, many Singaporean thought
that Bali was an expensive holiday destination.

"People may have skipped Bali for fear of having to spend too
much money. As a result, they mostly went 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 bombings, we ran "Enchanting Bali" for
several months to lure visitors back 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.