'Purified' Bali looks ahead to recovery

Damaso Reyes, Contributor, Jimbaran, Bali

The ritual purification on Friday has marked new ground for Bali to recover, putting the deadly blast behind it.

Despite President Megawati Soekarnoputri's absence from the elaborate ceremony, the mood and determination of all parties concerned about Bali's restoration were evident.

The Bali Tourism Board along with the Office of the State Minister of Culture and Tourism as well as the private sector have come together in an effort to create a new brand identity for Bali in the wake of the Oct. 12 terrorist attack which has scarred the islands reputation as a safe holiday destination.

The result is a print and television campaign: "Bali: Get into it".

"We in Bali will never surrender to the terrorists," declared Minister of Tourism and Culture I Gede Ardika at the press conference to announce the effort. "Yes, they have been able to destroy buildings, shops and cars but they will never destroy the spirit of Bali."

The rebranding comes in the wake of a precipitous drop in tourist arrivals to what was once Asia's most popular vacation destination. Worst case scenarios predict that hundreds of thousands of Balinese who depend on the tourism sector could lose their livelihood.

"We have purified our island. We have made it secure," said Putu Antara, chairman of the Bali Tourism Board. "Now it is time to help those who depend on the tourist industry," he added.

Since the purification ceremony on Friday, there has been much talk of looking to the future, one that appears increasingly uncertain after several nations have issued travel advisories suggesting non-essential visits to Indonesia and Bali be avoided in the wake of the bomb attacks.

The attack led to a 75 percent drop in holidaymakers to the island, and is likely to force Indonesia to lower its economic growth target of four percent this year.

In additional to a new logo and catch phrase, a slick new television commercial has been created. Due to the lack of funds it will only be shown on a pro bono basis by local television stations. It is difficult to say if the message will be heard by foreign tourists already inundated by advertising campaigns of other Southeast Asian nations which outspend Indonesia.

Also on the agenda is a possible change in the current visa free facility that Indonesia grants most foreigners which gives them a free short stay visa on arrival without applying for a visa at an embassy or consulate. Minister Ardika stressed that the discussions within the government were ongoing and that no decision had been made. If and when a change would be made he said that it would take at least six months to implement.

Ardika said the current discussion would be to change the current system into one in which nations would fall into three categories.

The first category groups nations that would still enjoy the visa free facility. Those would most likely be nations which already offer Indonesian citizens a reciprocal facility on arrival. The second would be a group of nations where tourists would have to pay for a visa on arrival. The third would be nations whose citizens would have to apply and be granted visas before arrival.

Observers say if foreign nationals are forced to pay or apply for visas it could hurt the faltering tourism sector of which budget travelers or backpackers make up a significant percentage. These are the visitors most likely to still come despite travel advisories but are more sensitive to price increases and difficulties in processing visas.