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Budget cuts put Bali’s event industry on brink of collapse, association says
The event industry in Bali is under pressure from austerity measures, according to industry representatives, with significant revenue declines recorded as a result of reduced government trips and events.
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Travellers walk near the domestic terminal of I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport in Badung regency, Bali, on April 7, 2024. (Antara/Ni Putu Putri Muliantari)
T
he event industry in Bali is under pressure from austerity measures, according to industry representatives, with significant revenue decline recorded as a result of budget cuts for government travel and events.
The chairwoman of the Indonesia Event Industry Council (Ivendo) in Bali, Grace Jeanie, said 85 percent of industry players had suffered drastic declines in revenue amid reduced spending by state institutions on official trips, meetings and seminars.
Based on a recent survey conducted by the council that involved 44 event industry players, as many as 750 events scheduled for the first quarter of 2025 have been impacted by the government’s austerity measures.
The island’s event industry, according to the lobby group, is projected to suffer a combined loss of Rp 3.15 trillion [US$190.8 million] this year if the trend continues, impacting event organizers (EO), production suppliers, freelancers and supporting sectors, including hotels, transportation and micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs).
Read also: Tourism associations raise concerns over Bali’s overtourism, waste problems
“The event industry is one of the backbones of Bali’s economy. If these big events are canceled or reduced, not only will it impact organizers, but also thousands of workers in this sector,” Grace stated on Thursday, as quoted by Bisnis.
The survey noted that 2,500 full-time and part-time employees were at risk of losing their jobs or suffering from reduced income, with the majority of respondents at 57 percent expressing pessimism on the future of Bali’s event industry.
