B

ali has grown as a world-class spiritual tourist site with frequent visits from high-profile spiritual figures including Maha Dewi Isira from Australia.

The province is believed to possess a strong spiritual energy in addition to Tibet and India, said Dewi Isira during her visit to Bali on Monday. When visiting Bali, people find peace and serenity with worship places scattered across the island,” she said. “The natural condition of Bali instills spiritual energy,” she added.

Anak Agung Prana, a prominent figure in spiritual tourism, explained the number of tourists seeking spiritual activities had been increasing in a significant way. Thanks to Hollywood blockbuster Julia Roberts’ Eat, Pray and Love, more foreigners wanted to follow Robert’s experiences on the island.

Eat Pray Love was adapted from a novel with the same title by Elizabeth Gilbert. It tells of Gilbert’s journey to Italy, India and Bali in search of her identity. Gilbert, played by Robert in the movie, enjoys delicacies in Italy, learns yoga in India and ends her journey in Bali, where she finds her love.
Local officials and businesses expect the movie, which depicts Bali, to have positive multiplying effects on the island’s tourism industry.

Bali Governor Made Mangku Pastika said he was proud of the island’s beauty depicted in the movie.
“This movie is very good, especially for Bali. It has successfully promoted this island’s beauty,” said Pastika.

“The film not only featured Bali’s beautiful scenery, but also showed the world that Bali has spiritual power,” he said.

Prana added that the majority of “spiritual” tourists were wealthy people, who spend a longer amounts of time in Bali and spend more money.

They might stay in Bali between a week and months. “They are also likely to return to the island,”
Prana said.

The hotel industry has sniffed out new business opportunities. Many hotels and villas are now providing serene places for their guests to practice yoga or meditation. Bali also has numerous Ashrams, places to learn more about spiritualism and Hindu teachings. Prana said there was no accurate data on the number of visitors who go on “spiritual holidays”.