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strong>March 15, Bali Daily, p. 5

European travelers may be starting to view Bali, especially the southern part of the island, as a less attractive holiday destination as accommodation prices soar uncontrollably.

Putu Winastra, deputy chairman of the Bali branch of the Association of Indonesian Tour and Travel Agencies (ASITA) said that European tourists had always paid serious attention to the condition of destinations they intended to visit.

“In the last five years, many European visitors have lodged complaints over the worsening environmental condition of Bali — lingering traffic jams, garbage, as well as the rising cost of hotels and accommodation facilities here,” Winastra said.

Bali, he said, must now face stiff competition from new emerging holiday destinations in neighboring countries such as Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam, all of which were rich in natural assets.

Your comments:

Indonesia, wake up! Stop destroying the natural wealth of the country. Pick up garbage. Protect the elephants, tigers, etc. Don’t take what Allah has given you for granted.

Stop poaching and discarding your rubbish anywhere you like.

Tony Bob

Bali should come down to the core of tourism: cleanliness, good prices and quality and reduced traffic jams and pollution.

Why not make all public transportation in Bali use liquid petroleum gas (LPG)? See for yourself in Bangkok, pollution reduced by at least 70 percent by using LPG.

Clean up your sewers and beaches, and please do not get carried away with sharia. Please.

Make a deal with Garuda Indonesian Airways to promote Bali to Europeans by selling cheaper tickets. At the time of writing Garuda ticket prices are even more expensive than other flights.

Lau WSH

Appalling traffic, continuous construction, dengue fever, plastic, garbage, incredible amounts of litter left everywhere, low maintenance, stinking drains filled with rubbish, pollution, flooding, dangerous electrics, very unfriendly immigration officers What is attractive about this?

Until the Balinese clean up everything and everywhere, tourism will stop.

Marion

Now Bali has become an unattractive paradise which has a bunch of problems. Crowding, heavy traffic, land conversion, rubbish and uncontrolled tourist development have really put Bali in a serious problem.

The paradise gradually disappears. Subak changes into blocks of buildings.

Ban Kneel

Bali has overlooked what tourists want because they are too blinkered by the dollar, and now it’s far too late to change, no more dreaming in paradise.

Sanna

There has been lots of news in many international media outlets worldwide describing Bali as an over-developed island. Bali’s pristine beaches, rich natural spots, and diverse culture have not only attracted foreign visitors to visit, but also lured investors to open their business in the island.

Unluckily, that has put Bali under the serious threat of destruction.

There may be good news and bad news at the same time over Bali’s popularity as an international tourist destination. The good news is that the government’s goal of increasing tourist arrivals to the country might well be achieved. That means more money and investment is also likely to increase. On the other, the bad news is that we will see a more crowded Bali from time to time.

Being crowded is inevitably the consequence, and might be the indicator, of a successful campaign of tourist promotion. However, the government should understand the nature of the visitors to Bali, which are different from one another.

Some Asian tourists might see Bali as a lifestyle feature, a must-visit tourism destination, a hype that they must follow. Australian tourists may see Bali as their favorite overseas holiday destination as it is close to their home country and it offers a relatively affordable cost. Other travelers expect to have incredible surfing experience they couldn’t enjoy in their respective countries.

However, offering Bali to European tourists is a different matter. As they travel very much further from their lands, they expect more than just beautiful beaches and cultural performances, things they could get easily in closer countries. It is a private tourist resort that they prefer. Aside from cleanliness and over-pricing issues, it is a good strategy if related authorities in Bali’s tourism sector found alternative places in Bali to promote other than Kuta and other well-known spots. That is to accommodate the different natures of the foreign tourists coming to Bali. Not that we are so greedy that all visitors should be accommodated, but it’s our responsibility to provide for their
interests once we offer Bali to them.

Aan Prastya

When I came to Bali around 30 years ago, it was indeed a paradise. Now it is the lost paradise, but what are the Balinese doing? Watching how their beautiful island is going down, drowning in their own garbage, polluting the beautiful ocean. Unfortunately I must say: You do not deserve this paradise.

Michael Beer