BALI UPDATE #326 - 16 December 2002

Bali Arrivals by the Numbers

balidiscovery.com's Statistical Update Shows Devastating Effects of October Bombing.

Interim figures just obtained by balidiscovery.com show November arrivals to Bali crashed to only 31,377 direct foreign arrivals, a figure down 57% from November of 2001. Bearing in mind the lingering effects of 9-11 on 2001's figures for November and averaging November arrivals for the 3 years 1999-2001 (90,238), the November 2002 arrival totals represents a massive 65% drop in business from the average for that month.

What the Figures Show

balidiscovery.com has prepared a detailed analysis of month by month arrival figures for 1999 through November 2002, including a copyrighted graphic representation available as a free download via the link provided at the end of this story.

Those figures indicate the following:

• Both the September 11, 2001, terror attack on the U.S.A. and the October 12, 2002, bombing of a Bali night spot caused a sudden downturn in Bali's foreign arrivals.

• The 2002 downturn in Bali's tourism business was much more acute, deeper, and may in fact prove to be more prolonged than the slump following the U.S. attack of one year earlier.

• The 2001 slump "bottomed out" in November of that year with figures improving steadily thereafter until they actually managed to outpace the early 2001 arrivals in May of 2002.

• The recovery from the 2001 U.S.A. terror attacks was complete and total dating from May of 2002, with May-September logging in record high arrival totals in each of those months.

Stay Tuned

Has Bali hit the bottom of the trough with November's arrival figures? When will the upward return of foreign arrivals commence? Which source countries have been most affected? The figures tell the real story: Stay bookmarked to balidiscovery.com for future reports on Bali Arrivals by the Numbers.

More information: Download the balidiscovery.com Arrival Report

A Most Germane View

Germans Give Indonesia A Better Safety Rating.

In a move said to reflect official German approval for the arrests resulting from the ongoing investigation of the October 12^th bombing of a Bali nightspot, German government travel advisories for Indonesia have been updated to be more encouraging for the nationals of that country considering a Bali holiday.

While recommending that its nationals continue to exercise caution and vigilance, the German official advisory no longer recommends against travel to Indonesia nor suggests German nationals resident in the country to leave.

Setyanto P. Santosa, Chief of the Promotion Body for Culture and Tourism, welcomed the easing of the German travel warning, stating how he hoped other European governments would soon follow the German example.

Setyanto said, "I think the German move is very good and will help speed the recovery of national tourism. This development will also support our efforts to soon open an Indonesian promotion office in Frankfurt."

More information: Latest German Travel Advisory

Dire Straits Indeed

Governor Remains Firm In His Resistance to a Bali-Java Bridge Link.

Bali's Governor's resolve to resist any and all proposals to build a bridge linking Bali and Java remains undiminished.

In late November 2002, Governor Dewa Beratha was officially invited to participate in a survey conducted by the National Planning Agency (BAPPENAS) seeking to undertake a feasibility study for a bridge link between Banyuwangi (Java) and Gilimanuk (Bali).

The Governor used the occasion to once again underline his firm rejection of the proposed Bali-Java link, suggesting the substantial funds required for the project might be better spent in other areas of the national economy.

Believed to be behind the Governor's resolute resistance to the bridge proposal is a belief, shared with many of his fellow Balinese, that such a structure would bring a host of social programs to the island and serve to erode the unique Bali-Hindu culture that provides Bali with its special character.

The governor reportedly told the press, that whether or not the BAPPENAS study finally determines the bridge to be viable or not, he did not want to see the project to go ahead.

Well Over 200 Registered for Security Workshop

Top Speakers Attract Senior Tourism Managers to One-Day Program on Security Matters.

The Hotel Asia-Pacific Security Workshop got underway at the Bali International Convention Centre at Nusa Dua on Monday, December 16, 2002.

Officially opened with an address delivered on behalf of Bali's Chief of Police, Irjen Polisi Drs. Budi Setyawan Msc. the workshop was made possible through the financial support of Starwood Hotels, Six Continent Hotels, Hyatt International and Shangri-La Hotels.

With attendance limited to Bali residents working on a day-to-day basis in managing the island's tourism industry, program highlights of the workshop include:

• A keynote address by Irjen. Polisi Drs. Made Mangku Pastika, the lead investigator on the Bali terrorist attack.

• A presentation by Mr. Tim Dumas, the Regional Security Officer at the U.S. Embassy in Jakarta on the U.S. response to international terrorism.

• A review of the latest technology available to Hotels and tourist centers to enhance security presented by Mr. Chester Doty, Chief of Security for Shangri-La Hotels.

• A discussion on staff training and recruitment as relates to security matters by Mr. James Filgo of Consolidated Services International, Inc.

• Mr. James Papineau, the Director of Marketing for the SUNTEC Conference Center in Singapore on Singapore's response to 9-11.

• A live demonstration by Bali's Mobile Brigade anti-terror squad.

• Mr. Leigh Dixon of the Australian Federal Police on the role of international cooperation in the war on terror.

• A presentation on crisis planning and crisis management by Mr. Craig Foster of Hill and Associates.

•Closing remarks by Prof. Dr. Ir. I Gde Pitana, the Chief of Bali's tourism authority.

Professional conference management for the workshop provided by Bali Discovery Tours.

Sponsored By:

Sekar Nusa Back to Normal

4-Day Wildcat Strike Ends.

The 53-villa Sekar Nusa Resort at Nusa Dua is reported to be again operating normally following a 4-day wildcat strike by the resorts employees that started on December 12, 2002.

Details of the strike or its resolution were not provided by the Management who have circulated a letter announcing that the temporary closure of the hotel had come to an end and all service were back to normal, effective Monday, December 16, 2002.

More information: Book a Stay at the Sekar Nusa

$1.1 M Spent on Promotional Rescue Plan

Promotional Funds Spent to Speed Bali's Recovery.

Setyanto P. Santosa, the Chief of the Indonesian Culture and Tourism Promotion Body, revealed recently that Rp. 10 billion (approximately US$ 1.1 million) had been spent by the Government to help accelerate the recovery of Bali's tourism industry.

In an article carried in the December 10, 2002, edition of the Indonesian-language newspaper Bisnis Indonesia, Setyanto reported that the Rp. 10 billion had been used to pay for the establishment of a crisis center, for advertising campaigns carried on CNN and CNBC, and a promotional road show to traditional source markets in the Asia Pacific region.

The Government has prepared several 30-second television commercials for both the domestic and international markets as part of the current promotional campaign.

A Birthday Short Cut?

Bali's General Hospital Offers Free Vasectomies to Celebrate its 43rd Birthday.

Bali's Sanglah General Hospital marked its 43^rd anniversary on Friday and Saturday, December 13-14, 2002, by cutting something, errrrr, other than a cake.

In order to celebrate the hospital's birthday, men reporting to a section of the hospital specially prepared for their visit during the two day anniversary period could receive a vasectomy free of charge. As a further inducement, the Hospital's spokesman assured any candidates for the male sterilization operation that the process used by the hospital was not only free, but performed without knives and was guaranteed not to impair male sexual function.

At the same time, the hospital also celebrated its big day by launching 5 balloons into the sky containing cards valid for a complete medical check up for anyone returning one of the cards back to the hospital.

And, then there's the story of the young man who reportedly entered the hospital carrying a balloon and unwittingly walked into the free vasectomy clinic.

Western Australia to Build a Bali Monument

Perth Plans to Remember its 16 Victims of Bali Blast.

The government of Western Australia has decided to build a monument in Perth's War Memorial Park to commemorate the death of 16 of its citizens in the terrorist attack of October 12^th in Bali.

Current plans are for the memorial to be officially inaugurated on October 12, 2003, marking the first anniversary of the terrorist outrage.

The bombing of a Bali nightspot claimed 180 lives, 87 of whom were Australian nationals.

The plans for the Bali memorial in Perth were announced by the Premier of Western Australia, Dr. Geoff Gallop, during a ceremony to honor the more than 400 personnel involved in the rescue effort in Bali. Among the 13 organizations receiving special recognition from the Western Australian Government was the Burn Unit of the Royal Perth Hospital.

To honor the 400 health and emergency workers, volunteers and community members who assisted the victims of the Bali bombing a specially produced lapel pin illustrating a Black Swan nurturing a Bali lotus flower was designed to commemorate the selfless dedication of the humanitarian workers.

In announcing the planned monument for King's Park, Dr. Gallop said, "While the memory of those who were killed will linger long in our thoughts, it is only appropriate we recognise their passing with a lasting tribute."