The Jakarta Post, August 03, 2006
Not easy to tempt Aussie tourists back to Bali
Jonathan Dart, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Last month, the Bali Tourism Board issued a press release declaring what everybody
on the small holiday island was desperately waiting to hear.
"All indicators are that Bali's tourism industry is making steps towards a sure and
certain recovery," it stated.
If this year's early travel figures are anything to go by, this view is close to the mark.
In April this year, 103,866 foreign tourists arrived Bali, which was down by just more
than 10 per cent on the figure from the corresponding period in 2005.
Considering that after the 2002 attacks, tourist arrivals to Bali did not normalize until
mid-2004, locals may well have cause to celebrate.
But despite the self-congratulatory press releases, there remains one group of people
that the Balinese have yet to convince. They can be found in travel agencies
throughout Australia.
Tony Foster, who operates a Harvey World Travel franchise in Hobart, Tasmania, led a
well-publicized campaign in May last year to stop promoting Bali as a holiday
destination as a form of "personal protest".
The cause of his dissent? Foster said he had a "gut feeling" that Schapelle Corby, an
Australian tourist arrested in Bali for possession of 4.1 kilograms of marijuana, was
not being given a "fair go" by Indonesian courts.
Within a week, an Australian travel industry journal surveyed 168 local agents and
found that 68 percent of them had also stopped promoting Bali.
The Schapelle Corby saga -- coupled with the October terrorist bombing and
subsequent drug trials of Australian Michelle Leslie and of nine other Australians
nicknamed the "Bali Nine" -- has had an effect on many Australians, many of whom
have now decided not to return to Bali.
The tourist data from April show that, while the overall tourist figures were strong,
arrivals from Australia, Bali's second-largest tourist market, have dropped by 45
percent, according to year-on-year statistics from Bali Tourism Board.
The impact from Australia was masked by an unusual increase in visitors from Japan
and Taiwan, which posted a staggering increase of more than 50 percent.
More than a year on from his initial campaign, Foster said he still refused to promote
Bali to his clients.
"I don't consider it a safe place to have to send anyone," he told The Jakarta Post.
"No one ever asks for it anyway. People just don't ask for Bali at the moment."
"I think Bali has, at least for me from where I am, just completely gone off the agenda
for people."
Perhaps the most telling statistic is that, despite the lackluster showing in Bali, the
overall number of tourists leaving Australia has been steadily increasing since
January.
The fastest growing destination for Australians is one of Indonesia's closest neighbors
and competitors: Thailand. In the past year, the country has seen a rise of more than
49 percent in Australian tourists.
"There's no doubt that Phuket, Koh Samui, places like that have taken over," Foster
said. "For a short while Fiji was quite popular. But Fiji is also reasonably expensive."
"The people that were probably going to Bali in years gone by, now I've found are
going to Thailand and Malaysia, which offer competitive prices. There's no doubt that
they're the ones that have come out the winner in it all."
"Phuket for example, was one of those places hardest hit by the tsunami," he said.
"But people have told me that it's a far better place now than it was before. I just think
it's going to be a long time for Bali, before it comes back into favor."
With confidence returning to vital markets in East Asia, the big challenge now for
Bali's tourism industry will be to regain the confidence of tourists in Australia.
But there are already some indicators that the task is not going to be easy. Thailand
has this year launched its expensive "Grand Invitation" advertising campaign,
celebrating the 60th anniversary of the ascension to the throne of King Bhumibol
Adulyadej.
The advertisements have already been seen extensively around the region, including
Australia.
Increased competition between airlines in the region also means that Bali has lost its
monopoly as the cheap destination for Australian tourists.
Last week, budget airline operator Jetstar announced flights from Sydney to Bali for
A$169 (about Rp 1.16 million). Thailand was not far behind, with flights to Phuket
being offered for A$199.
But where there is danger there is also opportunity, and increased competition among
airline operators in Australia will undoubtedly lead to a rise in the number of tourists
for all major destinations, including Bali.
The response to Jetstar's offer has so far been impressive, with reports of its computer
system crashing due to overwhelming demand.
Bali's travel operators haven't been waiting passively, either. In June, the major Bali
operators attended the Asia Pacific Incentives and Meeting Expo in Melbourne, where
they came face to face with the Australian market.
Bali Discovery Tours president director John Daniels said it was inevitable that Bali
would return to its former place in the minds of Australian tourists.
"The cultural and historical connections between Bali and Australia are both extensive
and intensive which, together with the undeniable attractions of the island to
Australian travelers, suggest that Australian arrival figures will continue to improve
each month," he said.
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