Bali looks to flexi traveller

INDONESIA’S Tourism Ministry will target flexible travellers and encourage discounting as it deals with the impact of the Mount Agung volcanic eruption in Bali.

At an industry briefing in Sydney last night, Ministry of Tourism spokesman William Kalua said the government had established a crisis centre to deal with any further eruptions and would continue to spread the message that Bali was safe to visit.

“The government is ready to face this kind of situation - we have the action plan on how to deal with this,” said Kalua, deputy of int’l tourism marketing at the Indonesian Ministry of Tourism.

Plans included using buses and ferries to transfer visitors to neighbouring islands if Bali’s airport was again forced to close.

With hotel occupancies currently reduced to between 11% and 20% in key areas around Kuta and Seminyak, Kalua said Bali was putting a focus on discounts to encourage travellers.

“Hotels are offering very steep discounts,” Kalua said.

“We see this as an opportunity for people flexible with dates - this could be your best deal of the year.”

He said those less concerned by potential flight disruptions would be targeted, such as retirees, students and people with extended leave.

The government also hoped to encourage discounted flights to package with hotel deals.

“The ministry is encouraging the airlines to sharpen their offering and create a better package,” Kalua said.

About 100 travel agents attended last night’s briefing in Sydney, with a further 80 expected at a similar event in Brisbane tonight.