CATO Picks Bali

(12/9/2002)

Obviously impressed with what they saw during a late-November inspection visit to Bali by the Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the Council of Australian Tour Operators (CATO), the grouping of companies who sell packaged holidays to the Australian public have decided to hold their annual meeting in Bali August 6-9, 2003.

Noteworthy on a number of levels, the CATO Conference will represent the first time the Association has held its annual meeting outside of Sydney, let alone outside the territorial boundaries of Australia.

The decision to bring the 60 member group to Bali was based on the reports filed by CATO Chairman Peter Baily and Vice-Chairman Michael Hay after meeting with local hoteliers, government officials, and police authorities during a whirlwind 3 day inspection of Bali in November.

CATO's selection of Bali for its conference is widely seen by the Indonesian travel community as significant vote-of-confidence by the Australian travel industry in Bali's long-term viability as a tourism destination and as signifyings CATO's desire to re-instill confidence in the public planning an overseas holiday anywhere in the world.

While plans for the conference have yet to be finalized, it is anticipated that the CATO conference will be centered in the Nusa Dua Complex.