Correction: A Shaky Start to 2005

(3/4/2005)

We're delighted and somewhat relieved to report that the data on which balidiscovery.com reported "A Shaky Start to 2005" in Bali Update #442 were cited in error.

In fact, new and corrected figures indicates a much more positive result in tourist arrivals for the first month of 2005.

Total Arrivals

Total direct foreign arrivals for Bali in January 2005 totaled 101,931 – down just 2% from the 104,062 foreign visitors reported in January 2004.

Asia Pacific

The Asia-Pacific market (total 62,753) dropped 8.3% in January 2005 as compared to the same month a year earlier. As reported earlier, the Australian and Japanese markets largely stayed the course, both marking modest gains in January.

Perhaps frightened off by tsunami fears, both the Taiwanese and South Korean travelers were down dramatically in January. Taiwanese business dropped 52.8 % at 8,116 visitors as opposed to 17,206 in the same month one year before. South Korean visitors declined 21.7% in January 2005 at 5,007, recording 6,396 visitors in January 2004.

ASEAN Arrivals

ASEAN arrivals to Bali (total 7,189) dropped 11.95% in January 2005. Thai and Singaporeans stayed close to home in the month following the tsunami. Singaporean arrivals to Bali in January were down 49.3% totaling in at 1,690 visitors, One year before in January 2004 some 3,333 Singaporean residents called on Bali.

Thai arrivals to Bali dropped 49.7 percent in January 2005 from the same month a year before.

Europe

European travelers increased 17.22% (total 25,916) month-to-month 2005 versus 2004, with strong performances turned in by Russia, the U.K., Switzerland, and Sweden. European arrivals, however, have failed to regain lost momentum still lagging 15% behind January figures achieved in 2001(30,487).

The Americas

Arrivals from the Americas (total 5,505) still continued its slow recovering, improving 11.57% in January 2005 as compared to January 2004. Despite these most recent improvements, visitors from the America's are still 39.2% behind the "boom time" total of 9.058 recorded in 2001.

Considerable Relief

We're happy to be able provide these updated and corrected figures portraying a more upbeat start for the 2005 and apologize for any confusion or dismay that may have resulted from our earlier report based on erroneous data.

Given the enormity of the tsunami disaster in late December, January's performance which almost equaled last year's is remarkable and a cause for considerable optimism for the year ahead.