(10/12/2012)
Bali Daily (The Jakarta Post) reports that Bali has plans to develop seven tourism villages catering to retired foreign visitors.
The Bali Hotels Association (BHA) and Bank Indonesia (BI), working together with the provincial tourism authority, are extending technical planning expertise and financial assistance for the projects.
The executive director of the BHA, Djnaldi Gosana, said, “We’re supporting the tourism villages so they can prepare and have the required skills to welcome and serve this kind of tourists.”
Slated for eventual development as senior citizen destination in Bali are Tabanan, Blimbingsari in Jembrana, Bedahulu in Gianyar, Penglipuran in Bangli, Pancasari in Buleleng, Budakeling and Jasri in Karangasem.
A new organization – the Bali Retirement Tourism Authority (BRTA) has been established to regulate retirement tourism on Bali and formulating a policy recommendation on accommodation long-periods of stays in Bali and facilitating the property purchases.
“When the policy is ready for enactment and the villages are prepared, we will open the opportunity for investors to build retirement resorts in areas around the villages and to organize the people to come here,” Djinaldi said.
In keeping with desires to spread investment to new areas of Bali, investors will only be allowed to establish retirement-oriented businesses in outside the crowded southern regions of the island.
Reflecting the need for higher quality and greater sustainability in developing Bali’s tourism future, Djinaldi said: “We’ve had enough of mass tourism. Wealthy tourists are no longer attracted to it. They want something authentic by getting involved in daily activities with villagers.”
The BI deputy chief for Bali, Made Sadguna, revealed that the Nation’s central bank would create financing scheme to encourage retirement tourism projects. In keeping with this program, BI is providing funding to seven villages.
The chairman of the newly established BRTA, Ketut Sukardika, announced that meetings would soon be held with the provincial administration to discuss tourism programs for retired people.
Established under a provincial decree, the BRTA has seven members.
© Bali
Discovery Tours. Articles may be quoted and reproduced
if attributed to http://www.balidiscovery.com.
