Bali Situation Update 04 October
Bali, 04 October 2005 -travelpress.biz-- PATA Vice President-Development, Mr Peter Semone, has been in Kuta, Bali, since October 2. Here are his comments from the Bali Crisis Information Centre at the Kuta Ina Hotel in Kuta, Bali, October 4:-
'The public and private sectors of the Balinese and Indonesian tourism community are doing an excellent job in responding to the bombings in Jimbaran and Kuta. There is a real feeling of solidarity in dealing with the situation. I have been extremely impressed.
'Many of the recommendations made in the PATA Bali Recovery Task Force report (January 2003) are being followed, such as cooperation between all stakeholders at the national and provincial level; the provision of quick, accurate and transparent information to media and the public; and the stimulation of local demand.
'It is difficult to estimate the tourism impact of the incident at this point. It is, however, very different from the October 2002 bombing. Activity by tourists and locals continues. Those that have chosen to stay in Bali are continuing to enjoy their holidays.
'It seems that tourists are becoming more resilient to these sorts of events. As you walk around the streets of Jimbaran and Kuta one would almost think that nothing has happened here. People are still dining in restaurants, walking around and shopping, enjoying the beach and enjoying their holiday.
'The Balinese temple festival of Galungang starts on October 5 as planned. Families all over Bali are preparing for this colourful Hindu festival as usual.'
Further information from PATA at the Bali Crisis Information Centre follows:-
Location of Bombs
General I Made Mangku Made Pastika, Provincial head of Bali's Police department, confirmed in a press conference on October 2, 2005 that there were three suicide bombs detonated at three locations. One in Raja's Restaurant located in the Kuta Square area Kuta and two at Jimbaran beach : Menega and Nyoman's Café. The bombs were detonated some five minutes apart.
Victims of Bombing
22 persons were killed including the three suicide bombers. 17 Indonesian nationals and five foreigners, four of which were identified as Caucasian and one as a North Asian. An additional 123 persons were injured, of which 37 have been identified as non-Indonesian nationals.
Tourism and Bali
Bali's 1,458,309 foreign visitor arrivals in 2004 represents some 35% of Indonesia's total foreign visitor arrivals. Tourism contributes over five billion US dollars to the Indonesian economy of which Bali attracts approximately half.
Jan - August 2001 - 2005 Tourists Arrivals Bali Highlighting Major Markets
2001 2002 2003 2004 2005
Japan 215,280 217,884 100,692 204,685 228,736
Taiwan 113,528 136,055 116,944 132,071 93,093
China 1,451 3,228 4,201 14,507 10,779
South Korea 22,798 31,566 23,884 53,573 61,319
Australia 166,052 137,026 79,479 175,374 186,517
New Zealand 17,927 15,734 10,044 14,288 12,649
The Netherlands 27,623 29,023 21,421 22,785 28,763
UK 78,252 71,253 33,563 32,302 52,611
Italy 25,995 26,074 8,820 14,868 15,520
Germany 55,524 52,567 31,974 44,538 51,107
France 31,784 34,167 19,939 28,063 31,434
Swiss 11,461 9,518 5,785 9,776 11,193
Russia 4,411 4,280 2,341 6,786 7,542
The Americas 76,635 57,230 34,869 49,019 55,888
Malaysia 11,323 14,121 21,345 33,510 47,458
Singapore 11,889 17,666 26,881 26,926 24,658
Thailand 10,259 9,893 6,956 9,964 6,030
Other 82,129 91,822 61,644 78,729 79,359
Total Arrivals 964,321 959,107 610,782 951,764 1,004,656
Direct Foreign Tourists Arrivals to Bali by Month
2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005
January 92,604 108,897 87,027 60,836 104,062 101,931
February 104,083 99,040 96,267 67,469 84,374 100,638
March 110,582 115,997 113,553 72,263 99,826 117,149
April 109,634 117,040 104,960 53,726 111,022 116,272
May 103,939 111,115 119,284 47,858 117,191 116,615
June 122,352 128,792 130,563 81,256 131,544 136,369
July 142,946 138,150 147,033 111,828 148,117 158,453
August 144,324 145,290 160,420 115,546 155,628 157,229
TOTAL 930,464 964,321 959,107 610,782 951,764 1,004,656
(source: Bali Discovery Tours and Bali Tourist Office)
Flight Situation
PATA is not aware of any cancellations of scheduled flights in and out of Bali so far. Qantas put on two special additional flights on October 2, and one on October 3, to return visitors to Australia.
Garuda Indonesia has offered to waive cancellation fees for flights until October 16, 2005 and allow passengers to rebook earlier flights home without penalties. Garuda said it is maintaining a full flight schedule to and from Bali.
Visitor Movements
On average, there are between 5,000 and 6,000 daily international visitor arrivals and a similar number of departures via the Ngurah Rai International Airport in Denpasar, Bali. Below are the international passenger movements at the airport October 1-3, 2005 inclusive.
International Arrivals International Departures
October 1, 2005 5,671 6,465
October 2, 2005 4,434 7,075
October 3, 2005 3,364 5,439
Hotel Situation
According to the Bali Hotel Association, occupancy rates at most hotels are relatively stable. An association spokesperson said there had been a few individual early check-outs, but the vast majority were choosing to stay. However, the Association is concerned about possible future cancellations of meetings and incentive groups.
Indonesia's Response - Government
Indonesia's Ministry of Culture and Tourism immediately responded to the October 1 incident by setting up a media/press centre at the Kuta Ina Hotel. The press centre provided complete internet and other facilities for international and domestic media.
The contact details are as follows:-
Bali October 1 Crisis Information & Media Centre
Kuta Ina Hotel, Kuta, Bali
Tel: (62-361) 750-333
Fax: (62-361) 750-777
E-mail: crisis-center@indotourism.go.id
Contact Mr Chadd McLisky
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono held a press conference at 1600 on Sunday October 2 in which he indicated Indonesia's commitment to do a thorough investigation into the incident and at the same time heighten security in Bali. The press conference was followed by comments by Bali's Chief of Police, General I Made Mangku Pastika who explained that the police had successfully recovered the mutilated bodies of the three suicide bombers. This forensic evidence will be key in the investigation and pursuit of other persons who helped to plan and implement the October 1 bombings, he said.
Tourism Industry Response
The Bali Tourism Board, which is a grouping of Bali public and private tourism stakeholders, responded quickly to the incident. A Task Force was created immediately with posts at the airport, hospitals and media centre. The first priority has been to support the victims and their families. The Bali Tourism Board will continue these efforts and is also doing the following:
1. Hosting the families of victims with hotel accommodation and other requirements (air tickets not yet confirmed).
2. Continued collection of relevant statistics in order to monitor the true impact of this incident on Bali tourism.
3. Providing welcoming flowers to visitors that arrive in Bali in the coming days.
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