Tourism in Bali returns to normal after riots

JAKARTA (JP): Business in Bali has gradually returned to normal after Megawati Soekarnoputri supporters went on the rampage on the resort island to protest her defeat in the presidential race.

Head of Bali's tourism supervision office Nyoman Suamba said on Friday the riot had not been "too damaging" for the tourist industry. He said the riots had disturbed the transportation activities, but otherwise had not affected tourists.

"The situation has returned to normal. Some tour programs and handicraft centers are open as usual. I hope people outside Bali don't have a bad image about Bali because of the Thursday incident," he told The Jakarta Post.

He said the chaotic situation had calmed down soon after the announcement on Thursday afternoon of Megawati's election to the vice presidency.

Managing director of Merdeka Tour & Travels in Sanur, Frans S Sidharta, said his tour programs had run as usual on Friday. He said dozens of foreign tourists had joined trips to several tourist sites, including the most favorite tour program destination Kintamani, which is about a one and a half hour drive from Sanur.

"My guests said they were not afraid to travel around Bali because they believe they are not the target of the protesters' anger," he said.

He said several of his city tour groups were stranded on Thursday in Ubud. He said he found accommodation for them at nearby hotels before returning them on Friday morning to their hotels.

"I paid for their stay in Ubud. It may be a financial loss. But I like to see it as a promotion strategy rather than a financial burden," he added.

Bali was paralyzed on Thursday as thousands of Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) supporters launched mass riots in several areas around Denpasar. They blocked the roads and mobbed several buildings, including the Golkar branch office, and set fire to dozens of cars.

Suamba said many arriving tourists were stranded at the airport due to the roadblocks. He said some tourists were forced to find accommodation at nearby hotels for the night because they could not go to the hotels where they had made reservations.

"But all tourists had left the airport at 10 p.m. on Thursday. I have not received any report of flight cancellations made on Thursday because of the riots."

He emphasized that no hotels or tourist facilities were damaged during the Thursday incident.

Reservation officer Emmy from Santika Beach in Kuta Tuban, said hotels in her area were not affected by the Thursday incident because the riots were concentrated in Denpasar and nearby areas.

She said her hotel, about 30 kilometers away from the airport, was one of several hotels which provided accommodation to the stranded tourists.

"We had about 40 rooms sold to stranded tourists, in addition to about 30 rooms we had for reservations. Guests in the 40 rooms had already checked out this morning to go to their hotels," she said.

Communications director with Sheraton hotels in Nusa Dua, Lisa Halim, said some of her guests were accommodated on Thursday night in hotels near the airport because road access to hotels was blocked by barricades or felled trees.

She said guests had arrived at the hotel and that some tourists had started on Friday morning their holiday activities.

"However, we advised them to concentrate their activities in the Nusa Dua area to avoid being trapped in traffic jams in several areas where people are still busy removing the chopped trees from the roads," she said, adding that the roads were expected to be cleared and ready for use by the afternoon.

Lisa said her hotel had sent faxes and e-mail to Sheraton chains and travel agents overseas to inform them about the easing tension in Bali.

"We also regularly inform our guests here about the development in the area. Clear information is important to avoid people from being misinformed and losing interest in Bali and Indonesia."

Bali is the most popular destination in Indonesia. Some 683,083 foreigners visited Bali in the first half of the year, reflecting a 32.3 percent increase over the same period last year. (cst)