| The Jakarta
Post/Denpasar |
| As Hindu Balinese
observed the Galungan festival and Muslim Balinese welcomed their fasting-month
of Ramadhan, shops, restaurants and cafes - excepting those closed for
the dual holidays on Tuesday - were open for business as usual.
While the bombings
of Oct. 1 at Kuta Square and Jimbaran Bay in Bali have had an impact on
hotel and tourism, the general effect has been minimal relative to the
devastation of Oct. 12, 2002, that nearly incapacitated the industry, and
the overall feeling that prevails appears to be one of cautious optimism.
"The
psychological effect of this bombing is completely different from the bombing
of 2002," said on Tuesday Bali Tourism Board chairman Bagus Sudibya.
"There has been no sudden rush in departures within the last three days;
only about a 5 percent increase in the departure rate. |
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It seems
the world can accept more that terrorism is a part of our lives .." In
2002, the industry experienced a drop in occupancy from 90 percent to 10
percent over the three days immediately following the bombings at the Sari
Club and Paddy's Caf‚.
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The industry
has also experienced a 10 percent to 15 percent decline in arrivals. But
perhaps more indicative of the tourism
response including
domestic tourists is that reservations continue to come in for October,
the Idul Fitri (Lebaran) holiday season in November and even for December. |
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| Siswo Susetyo,
director of rooms at Hard Rock Hotel, Kuta Beach, said the 418-room hotel,
which caters mainly to domestic guests, had experienced only a 5.5 percent
increase in short-term cancellations. "This is very unusual ..." noted
Siswo. "While we have had some cancellations, we still expect 85 percent
occupancy (for the Lebaran period)."
The hotel has
steadily upgraded its security system since 2002, expanding their security
force and installing additional equipment, such as metal detectors at every
entrance and installing 9 CCTV security monitors. It will also soon have
sniffer dogs specializingin bomb detection.
"The government
must do more to secure Bali and the livelihood of the Balinese, which is
85 percent dependent on tourism; Bali is not owned by Indonesia, but by
the world," Siswo said. |
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| At the five-star
Hotel Padma, located along Legian Beach about 2 km north of Kuta Square,
the figures were slightly different, considering its 90:10 ratio of foreign
to domestic guests.
Director of
Sales and Marketing Wiwin Ong said, "Only three of 405 rooms left early,"
but only to relocate to a "quieter" establishment in accordance with advisories
issued by the guests' respective governments.
However, their
cancellation figures stood at 15 percent, and the hotel expected to see
a 20 percent increase in cancellation by the week's end. Meanwhile, they
are still receiving about 50 new bookings a day for the October to November
period, compared to a rate of 100 prior to Oct. 1.
The Hotel Intercontinental
Jimbaran, located a few hundred meters to the north of the bombing at Jimbaran
Bay, also recorded very few early departures. For two days immediately
following the blasts, the Intercontinental waived Internet and international
calls for all guests, so that they could let their families know they were
safe three days later Director of Marketing Heather Cornish noted that
staff and guest morale was "good". |
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| At Discovery
Shopping Mall, a mall and beachfront arcade known as the leading shopping
complex in Kuta, all shops were open for business. Tenancy and communications
manager Willem Andry said the complex had increased the number of security
personnel by 100 percent and limited the number of entry points. It had
also implemented regular checks of visitors through the metal detector,
whereby previously, these were conducted at random.
At the popular
Water Bom recreational park, about 500 meters from Kuta Square, families
could be seen enjoying a respite from the tropical heat.
The turnout
"has
been surprising", commented Director Sales and Marketing D. Riana Bismarak.
"Today, about 400 foreign
tourists have
come," she said. |
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| On a normal
day, the park sees an average of 500 visitors, both foreign and domestic.
It, too, has
raised its security measures, although mandatory baggage and car checks
have been in place for the past years.
Travel agencies
were also doing their part to ease the impact by taking measures, such
as delaying the cut-off date for resale of canceled packages.
"It is because
of this positive attitude (among visitors and industry players)
that we have to do whatever we must to create a new security for Bali,"
said industry head Bagus.
Under this
initiative, based on a traditional, grassroots security system residents
and staffers from establishments in tourist areas will be trained by the
police to monitor their areas. The pilot system is set to be implemented
in Badung regency, comprising Kuta, Legian, Seminyak and Nusa Dua -- home
to 80 percent of all tourism on Bali -- and in Denpasar regency, which
includes Sanur.
In addition,
the industry has proposed that 50 percent of the expected Rp 300 billion
(US$30 million) in visa-on-arrival earnings be channeled toward the island's
security.
"The Minister
of Home Affairs has fully agreed to this idea, and is set to propose this
to the legislature," Bagus said.
Meanwhile,
the heads of flagship Garuda and the Japanese Association of Travel Agencies
is en route to the island to discuss
recovery,
looking at the next three months; and the government is shifting many functions
to Bali, as it did in 2002.
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