Rebuilding Tourism: Indonesia

How do you rebuild tourism after a number of devastating incidents and furthermore, how or what do you do to encourage tourists to return. Promotions and specials by airlines have yet to prove successful.

Bali being the gem of Indonesia’s tourism industry was just beginning to rebound after the first Bali bombings in 2002 when suicide bombers struck the island for a second time last year causing tourist numbers to drop again. The number of foreign tourist arrivals in Indonesia in the first four months of this year dropped 10.7 per cent to 1.2 million when compared to the same period last year, according to the Central Statistics Agency.

So, who do we blame for the lack of interest by cashed-up tourists visiting the many pristine islands in the archipelago?. Most certainly the tourism boards will instantaneously say that terrorism, SARS and the Avian Bird Flu were the causes. There are many other underlying factors such as crime and the manner in which these tourists are treated on their holidays.

We have all heard stories from our friends of the various bad incidents that have happened to them whilst enjoying a holiday, and no doubt, a majority of them are true. So how can the Indonesian tourism authorities overcome these hurdles&#63. Quite simply by cleaning up their act and improving services to those visitors.

Indonesia’s tourism industry was dealt another blow after the May 27 earthquake devastated parts of the Javanese cultural city of Yogyakarta, one of the country's prime tourist destinations. The ancient and culturally rich city is second only to Bali for visits by overseas tourists.

Adding to the scare for tourists is Mount Merapi, which lies about 45 kilometres north of the epicentre of the quake and has been rumbling for weeks. Early reports this morning are quoted as saying the volcano is spewing out hot ash and lava is steadily flowing down the mountain. Yogyakarta had experienced a 60-per-cent drop in tourists.

All these factors in their own right affect the way those wishing to go on holiday select their destination. Admittedly a lot of these factors are of a 'natural' basis, but others are not. To increase tourism certain promises and improvements have to be made to ensure the safety of travellers and these must be effected.

Peter Geiling wrote an interesting article in the International Herald Tribune about how tourism in the city of Yogyakarta is suffering.