Bali News / Bali Travel and Holiday Updates

Tourism industry of Bali has just shown an amazing improvement. Tourist arrivals of 2008 records the highest in the last 39 years. A new record since 1969 when Ngurah Rai Airport classified as an international airport allowing international flights to go direct to the island. The figure confirms that Bali with many titles such as the island of gods, the morning of the world, and island of a thousand temples remains a favorite holiday destination.

Looking back to statistical figures of the past, between 1969 and 1993, direct visitors to Bali ranged between 11,278 and 885,516 per year. Between 1994 and 2002 direct tourist arrivals ranged between 1,03 and 1,2 millions. The recent five years between 2003 and 2007 recorded significant fluctuation due to two consecutive terror attacts which severely destroyed tourism industry as economic backbone of Bali. Numerous attempts in effort to regain the image of Bali as a safe holiday destination by the government along with every stakeholders of tourism industry in Bali has finally shown a significant success. 2007 has ended with a record breaking, the highest direct arrivals in the history, 1,664,454.

The next challenge for government and other stakeholders of Bali tourism industry is to make significant increase in arrivals paralelled by other parameters such as expenditures - spending made by each visiting tourist in accommodation, meal, local transport, etc. - which in 2007 was US$106,2 per person per day, and length of stay which in 2007 was 10.6 days.

For 2008 provincial governement of Bali set a target of 1.9 millions of arrivals. The first three quarters - January to September - has recorded 1,477,777 arrivals, a 13% increase from the same period of 2007 which was 1,229,732. Remaining question are “Can the target of 1.9 arrivals achieved by the end of 2008?” and “How much it will contribute to Bali’s economy and govenrment revenue?”

Whilst awaiting for the real figures on foreign tourist arrivals of 2008 which we can only get after the year actually ends, mathematical assumption can help us to make prediction. Having on hand total arrivals of Janyary-September period was 1,477,000 translating into monthly average of 164,197, and assuming that all other variables remain constant for the last three months of the year, at the end of December 2008 we are foreseeing 1,970,368 arrivals, which immediately means target achieved.

How much it will bring economical contribution? Assuming that total expenditure and length of stay remain the same as 2007, we will be multiplying 1,970,368 tourists, each staying 10.6 days, each spending $106.2 every day. The sum of money which will be brought in to Bali is $2,218,082,665 or Rp. 20,628,168,784,500  (calculated in 1:9,300 exchange rate).

Director of Promotion and International Relation of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism Prof. Pitana says that there are a potential of 30% loss on length of stay, decreasing to total circulating money of Rp. 14,439,718,149,150. The government of Bali is getting 10% into its treasury which is Rp. 1,443,971,814.