The central government in Indonesia has given its consent for funds worth US$3.9 million to propel tourism in Bali, which was severely hit by bombings in October last year.
“It is a bit late and we have lost some momentum. However, the (disbursement of the funds) shows the government’s commitment to helping the country’s tourist industry recover,” Bagus Sudibya, chairman of the Bali Tourism Board said.
According to local media, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism will use the funds to finance local and international promotional activities to attract visitors back to the island and repair Bali’s image as a safe and attractive tourist destination.
“With the disbursement of the funds (approved by the Finance Ministry in late January), the Bali provincial government, the Bali Tourism Board and other tourist-related associations will immediately launch a number of initiatives to assist in the recovery,” said Gede Nurjaya, head of the Bali Tourism Office.
Following the bombings in Bali last year, tourist arrivals to the island plunged from 10,000 people a day to 5,000 and the average hotel occupancy rate is currently between 30 and 40 percent. It is estimated the island is losing about US$2.5 million a day in tourist revenue as visitors continue to stay away from Bali.
Recently, United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) Secretary-General, Francesco Frangialli shared that Indonesia’s tourism is expected for a comeback and should show signs of ‘definite improvement’ later this year.
Frangialli praised the government for their positive and timely actions taken to meet the ‘series of shocks’ that had hit Indonesia’s tourism in recent years. “The situation is encouraging and will definitely improve in the second half of the year. One year on from the tsunami, the future of tourism for Indonesia looks as bright and promising as before,” Frangialli said.
By: N. Peter Kramer
