Tourists slow to return to Bali amid promotion

Tourists slow to return to Bali amid promotion

NUSA DUA, Indonesia (AFP): Tourists have been slow to return to Bali despite the efforts of the local authorities and tourist industry to restore the reputation of the Indonesian holiday island.

Bali's thriving tourist industry has been undermined by a decline in popularity caused by the image of violence associated with Indonesia.

The consequences of the "image problem" -- the expression used by the tourism industry -- are severe and are well illustrated by the Bali Travel Mart, an event to develop tourism on the island and put buyers and sellers of tourism products in contact with each other.

Although more than 450 companies -- including more than 200 buyers -- took part in last year's event, only around 160 turned up to this year's mart which was recently held in Nusa Dua, a luxury tourist enclave in the southeast of the island.

Only about 50 buyers made the trip this year and sellers complained at the small amount of business concluded amid a general lack of interest.

The representative of a chain of international hotels said that instead of winning new contracts, he had received cancellations from an important European client.

"They told me they would get in touch after August depending on the situation then in Indonesia," he said.

In contrast to the industry's optimism at the start of the year, official statistics for the first quarter of the year show a drop of around 10 percent in tourist arrivals in Bali.

Tourists from Australia, usually the biggest market for Bali, have been conspicuous by their absence, with just 40,043 visiting the island in the first quarter, a plunge of 39.2 percent compared with same period a year earlier.

Equally significant is the fall in spending by tourists.

Average daily spending fell from US$120 to $98 with hotels engaged in a price war in an effort to maintain their market share.

Local tourism officials blame their problems on politics and the government. "Tourism is paying a political price," said Mira Novianti, director of the Indonesia Travel Service.

But according Jro Gede Karang Suarshana, chairman of Bali Travel Mart 2000, who invited about 30 Jakarta-based foreign ambassadors to the island in May, "People must come and judge by themselves. There is no problem (with security)."