BALI UPDATE #277 - 07 January 2002

Entry #1 - Bali Dream Holiday Contest

A Bali Update Reader from West Australia is the First Submission in the Bali Dream Holiday Contest.

Vera Gregson of Dalkeith, Western Australia, vera_bedwell@bigpond.com, is the first published submission in the Bali Dream Holiday contest. She's now in the running for 2 tickets on Singapore Airlines, 7 nights at the Fours Seasons Private Estates Bali at Jimbaran Bay, tours and transfers from Bali Discovery Tours, rafting and cycling excursions from Sobek, luxurious spa treatments from Mandara Spa, a helicopter tour from Air Bali, and Cooking Lessons from Bumbu Bali/Rumah Bali.

The contest runs until the end of April with contest rules and details available via the link below.

Although this week's submission is poetic, you can choose any form to your liking.

BEAUTIFUL BALI

Magical Island of the Gods
Close, affordable, beautiful, magical.
Party Island or romantic paradise
Hidden delights around every corner
Safe, clean, friendly, affordable, delightful
White beaches, stunning coral, colourful fish
Waterslides, snorkelling, windsurfing, parasailing
Beautiful food, restaurants, cold beers, warm smiles
Spas, massages, manicures, pedicures, cream baths
Lulurs, borehs, holistic approaches, Reiki
Mountains, rapids, infinity pools, fun and laughter
Blissful seclusion and peace
Facials, herbal wraps, aromatherapy treatments
Colourful singing birds, orchids, iguanas
Balinese art, Dramas, Traditions,
Gentle people huge smiles
Masks, decorations, puppets, paintings
Boutique properties
Snorkelling, Canoeing, Windsurfing
Sensational sunsets 
Classic luxury
Gentle warm balmy winds
Softly waving palms
Fresh young coconuts cut from the tree
Cocktails on the beach
Vast manicured gardens
Trendy nightclubs for the young or young at heart
Tranquil and refreshing 
Tropical haven
Spartan religious retreats
Hedonistic Luxury
Coconut pillars and grass roofs
Stylish cafes
Lush, stunning views
Temples and monkey forests
Galleries and shops
Stone carvers
furniture, jewellery and textiles
Incense made from local plants
Candlelit dinners 
Tuban relaxing and safe for swimming
Kuta for the young
Seminyak for trendy shops
Tanah Lot Temple - view the sunset
Jimbaran for famous resorts but peaceful village atmosphere
Uluwatu for surfing
Candi Desa serenity
Ubud - rice paddies and wood carving
Kintamani for the Volcano - handicrafts and picturesque scenery
Silver and goldsmiths
Royal baths and Buddhist monastery remains
Rice paddies
Sailing sensations, safe seas
Harley Davidson Tours
Ocean Rafting River Rafting
Cruises. cruises and more cruises
White Water Rafting gentle yet exciting
Twilight Sensations
Trekking through jungles
Honeymooners
Kimono Dragons, not to be confused with mothers in law
Lovers
Fat jolly people
Thin plain people
Ordinary happy people
Special people
Famous people
Smiling people
Deeply religious people
White sand beaches, gentle seas
Jungles, hillside rice terraces
Kintamani Volcano powerful and majestic
Nyepi Day where the spirits are not allowed to see that anyone lives on Bali
Darkness and silence shhhh.

More information: How to Enter the Bali Dream Holiday Contest

Designed To Keep You in Stitches

Authority on Balinese Embroidery Returns to Seniwati Gallery 11 January.

Mr. Joseph Fischer an U.S.-based art curator and author of the Book The Folk Art of Bali last visited Bali in July of 1999, to speak at an international textile conference and make a presentation at the Seniwati Gallery of Art by Women in Ubud.

Credited for reviving an interest in the vanishing art of Balinese embroidery, Dr. Fischer will return by popular demand to Bali to speak on this interesting subject.

Details of Dr. Fischer's appearance in Bali:

Place: Seniwati Gallery of Art by Women

Location: At the New Showspace on Jalan Raya Ubud, Ubud

Date: Friday, January 11, 2002

Time: 1830-2000 Hours

More information: E-mail Seniwati

Badung Collects $30 M in Hotel Tax

Regional Government Cites Hotels for Best Practice in Paying Hotel & Restaurant Tax.

Despite the sudden drop of foreign arrivals post-911, the Badung Regency has managed to surpass its hotel & restaurant tax target of Rp. 300 billion, successfully collecting Rp. 314 billion (+/- US$30 million) for the fiscal year 2001. The Badung Regency covers the hotels in the southern part of the island including Denpasar, Sanur, Kuta, Jimbaran and Nusa Dua.

In a ceremony to acknowledge "best practice" among tourism tax payers held on Friday, January 4, 2002, the Bupati of Badung, Mr. Anak Agung Ngurah Oka Ratmadi, S.H. cited a number of hotels in the regency for paying their taxes in full and on time. Among the hotels acknowledged for fulfilling their civic responsibility were:

Grand Hyatt Resort, Four Seasons Resort Bali, Melia Bali Hotel, Hotel Sheraton Laguna, Nusa Dua Beach Hotel and Nikko Bali Resort & Spa.

At the same ceremony, finance officials from the regional government revealed that some Rp. 30 billion (+/- US$ 2.8 million) still remains unpaid from a number of Badung area hotels.

Anticipating a drop in both visitors and revenues in 2002, the Badung regional government has reduced the target for 2002 by 33% to Rp. 200 billion (+/- $US 20 million). (Bali Post)

Old & New - 2002 Dawns in Bali

Parties, Outdoor Concerts, Fireworks and Rain Mark Bali's Celebration of the Passing of 31 December 2001.

Full to overflowing and looking for fun, Bali celebrated the welcome of 2002 without major incident. balidiscovery.com wraps up the "night that was before the morning after" on the island of the gods.

KUTA

A series of outside entertainments along Bali's main beach commencing from the front of the Hard Rock Café started at 7:00 p.m. and carried on until pre-dawn. The festivities included a massive kecak dance, wayang performances, local participatory dances sometimes confused with simultaneous demonstrations of public intoxication, and performances by top Balinese pop music groups.

Police threats to tow any cars parked along the streets of Kuta did not materialize as gridlock set in early in the evening preventing tow trucks from movement in or out of the area. Torrential rains that seemed to arrive almost at the stroke of midnight did little to dampen the spirit of the thousands of revelers.

DOWTOWN DENPASAR

The Puputan Field in the center of Bali's capital, Denpasar, resounded with the beating of two large traditional drums, or kul-kul, sounded at midnight by Denpasar's Mayor. Joint prayers for peace were offered by representatives of all of Bali's religious groupings to seek the Almighty's blessing on the year ahead.

The organization of a mass celebration at the city's center is credited, in part, for reducing the number of motorized convoys traveling around the city. As a result, the Sanglah General Hospital reported 50% fewer casualties than recorded during last New Year’s festivities. In all, traffic accidents saw some 31 people hospitalized over the nightlong celebration and 82 others treated and released. Three fatalities were recorded on New Year's Eve with at least two of those attributable to driving while intoxicated. Meanwhile, 135 non-traffic related accidents and illnesses were handled by the hospital's emergency unit during the transition to the New Year, including the arrival of 21 new "Balinese" in the hospital's maternity wing.

GARUDA WISNU KENCANA

A nationally televised parade of top Indonesian artists performing before thousands at the Garuda Wisnu Kencana (GWK) monument on the Ungasan peninsula was truncated when heavy rains halted the party and the broadcast. Instead of seeing a live show of top singers and dancers the telecast was switched to popular national video clips.

AROUND THE ISLAND

Traffic across the island was forced to move at a slower pace as each village and community held the equivalent of a "block party" as village youth took over the banjars and streets with their music systems accompanying local games of chance and dances. Arak or rice wine was available in generous quantities with scenes of wild dancing - variations on local trance dances, a common sight on local roads and highways.

TOURISM CHIEF WELCOMES FIRST VISITORS

Meanwhile, Bali's provincial Chief of Tourism, Dr. Ir. Pitana, was on duty at Bali's Ngurah Rai Airport at the stroke of 12 to laud Bali's first visitor in 2002 with flowers and gifts.

First to set foot on the island in 2002 were Barbara and Detlef Kolni of Germany and Jo Malcolm and Adan Bealy of Scotland who arrived on GA 412. (Bali Post and Bisnis Indonesia)

Guest Editorial: Which Path Will Bali Take?

An Australian Tourism Development Professional Continues the Examination of Bali's Fragile Future With a Rejoinder to Graham Hornel's Editorial of Last Week.

It is perhaps timely that in light of the tragic events of September 11, destinations such as Bali take the opportunity to review and reassess their place in the tourism world. What type of visitor experience will Bali be seeking to offer in five years time? Will it be similar in terms of mass-market appeal with a spattering of high yield, niche market elements or will it have shifted focus to carve out a special place in the global visitor market.

I noted with much interest Graham Hornel's commentary (Bali Update #276, 12/31/2001) regarding the carrying capacity issues facing Bali and its direct link to sustainability and other management practices. Clearly it is decision time for the tourism 'planners' and all those with a passion for Bali and its wonderful assets. This message was bluntly reinforced to me on my recent field trip to Bali.

As a regular visitor to Bali over the past seven years, I have noted the demise in some aspects of the 'Bali experience' - overcrowding, traffic congestion, pollution etc. The 'experience' is taking on a whole new meaning. This became more evident whilst I was interviewing a number of key industry personnel as part of the research for my Masters thesis. Consistently, respondents mentioned the desperate need for better planning, management and development regimes. These industry leaders are all too aware that the popular catch phrases of "sustainable tourism development," "best practice" and the "triple bottom line" must be seriously investigated in the next short period or Bali faces a rather gloomy future as a visitor destination. This has obvious repercussions for the community.

History tells us that it is not that difficult for a popular destination, site or visitor node to be literally "loved to death". The Mediterranean is confronted with this problem after decades of sustained visitor demands. The World Heritage Daintree Rainforests of Far North Queensland constantly face this challenge at both a macro (destination) and micro (site-specific) level. Over the past 10 years, the government has channeled significant resources into broad planning and management exercises with support from the private sector in an effort to provide a framework for sustainable tourism development. There are abundant examples; this is not unchartered territory.

So where does Bali stand in this context? If those on the ground are to be believed, it's stumbling towards the tourism abyss and is in real need of a "vision" for the long-term development of tourism on the island. It is evident from my experience with the destination that the industry is desperate for the Indonesian Government, at a local and national level, to act and act now. The problems and challenges are obvious to the industry, community and, yes, to the visitor at an increasing rate.

There are real limits to the capacity of destinations and sub-destinations to cope with the increased pressure from constant human impact. If you develop and promote a predominantly volume visitor destination with a historically strong brand and image, there comes a time when you confront the crossroads with respect to long-term viability of the destination.

My observations place Bali at this cross road or at least extremely close, in urgent need of a 'visioning' and a regional tourism planning exercise. I would propose it is the government's responsibility to resource, coordinate and manage the framework for this strategic planning exercise. That is, provide leadership. Otherwise I must concur with Mr. Hornel's bleak outlook.

The question now is, which path will Bali take?

Andrew Sivijs is a Masters candidate for Business Management at the University of Queensland, Australia. He is Principal Project Officer for the Queensland Government developing the Queensland Heritage Trails Network.

More information: Share Your Comments with Mr. Sivijs

Americans Who Travel to Bali

An American Tells it Like it Is After a Recent Visit to Bali.

An American travel professional with three decades of experience in Indonesia recently shared the following comments following a visit to Bali.

I am an American citizen and just recently returned from Bali, Indonesia. I felt more than secure and (more) welcome than ever before. It is absurd to have travel warnings to this peaceful Island. Due the close cohesiveness of the Balinese culture and village community, I felt much safer in Bali than in the USA when I returned.

If its peace and safety that one is looking for: go to Bali don't stay away...

Jim Cramer - the Bali Travel Advisor.

Mr. Cramer has been organizing trips to Bali for nearly two decades and maintains extensive contacts with local communities in Bali when visiting the island.

More information: Jim Cramer's Website

The Chinese Market: A Double Edged Sword?

Two Strongly Differing Views on What the Promised Influx of Chinese Tourists Means for Bali.

Local officials are confident that recent changes in bi-lateral tourism policies between Indonesia and China will result in a sudden and dramatic upsurge in Chinese visitors to Bali. Some 315,949 Chinese visitors came to Bali in the first 10 months of 2001. This number is expected to grow rapidly with 180,000 Chinese projected to visit Bali in the first quarter of 2002 alone.

Will the sudden influx of Chinese tourists visiting Bali see the island through the current downturn in business following the events of September 11? Apparently, the vote is not unanimous on the subject with two leading figures in Bali tourism taking opposite positions on the subject.

Mr. Gde Wiratha, Chairman of the Bali Chapter of the Indonesian Hotel and Restaurant Association (PHRI),in recent local press reports stated his belief that the projected flood of Chinese tourists would produce the dual benefit of maintaining tourism flows to Bali and demonstrating to the world that Bali remains a world-class tourism destination.

A less optimistic view was expressed by Mr. Al Purwa, the successful owner of KCB Tours - a local tour company and a member of the Board for the Bali chapter of the Association of Indonesian Tours and Travel Agents (ASITA). Mr. Purwa stated that Bali can hope for little from the Chinese market. Explaining his view, he described how the market is strongly controlled by Chinese government and, as a group, not responsive to cultural tourism, seemingly more intent on massage and shopping. He stated, "I am personally not convinced that Bali can completely manage the Chinese inbound tourist market. The problem is the contradiction between the general profile of the Chinese tourist and Bali's positioning as a cultural tourism destination."

The Indonesian government has projected an approximate 7% increase in arrivals for 2002, with a total 5.8 million foreign visitors targeted. Of this total, approximately 50% are expected to land in Bali.

Minister Ardika Cautions Against Greed

Tourism Boss Asks All Components of the Community to Seek 'Win-Win' Solutions.

The Minister for Culture and Tourism, I Gde Ardika, has called on tourism entrepreneurs to avoid acts of greed in exploiting the natural environment and Bali's traditional village communities.

In comments made during a recent visit to North Bali, the Minister called on restaurant and hotel operators to become members of the traditional agricultural associations - subak to ensure mutually beneficial cooperation between investors and traditional communities. He emphasized that the potential of the natural environment possessed by every province must be managed to maximize results without sacrificing environmental and cultural values. To this end, he called on all parties to obey zoning rules and local rules on tourism development. Reminding that personal profit must not be the sole motivation in tourism development, the Minister reminded, "don't readily change provincial rules, converting areas designated for tourism development into industrial applications."

Focusing on the Buleleng area of North Bali which is also the area of his birth, the Minister urged that this region of Bali be dedicated to the development of tourism based on agricultural themes. Echoing his comments, the Minister of Agriculture, Bungaran Saragih, said that tourism and agriculture cannot go their separate ways. Citing on how Bali is known for its fruit production, including grapes, oranges, salak, and mangos - the Minister of Agriculture called on hotels to use and promote the use of local agricultural products.