The growth of foreign tourists to Bali in the last five years since 1999 up to 2003 has been slightly fluctuating. This is caused by the political instability in Indonesia an health issues in the world as well as a number of casualties that come from other countries. This unfortunate condition has affected the intention of visitors travel to famous destinations in the world, including the travel to Bali. The Government of Bali and private sectors have carried out several efforts in order to recover Bali’s tourism, those efforts among other are distributing information about Bali’s up to date condition, especially the security and safety through printed and electronic media, inviting foreign travel writers or travel agents and tour operators to Bali in order to see the life in this island by their own eyes and participating in international tourism events in some foreign countries of which some are the Bali’s lucrative markets. These actions have been quite fruitful. This can be seen from the number of tourists arrival to Bali which has been recently increasing 4 % in 2000 at the amount of 1,355,799 people in 1999 and became 1,412,839 tourists in 2000.
The WTC tragedy on Sept/11/2001 has decreased the number of tourists arrival to Bali as much as 3.97%, i.e. 1.412.839 in 2000 and became 1.356.774 in 2001. Besides, the Kuta tragedy, on 12 October 2002 has also influence the tourists arrival to Bali as much as 5.23%. i.e. 1.356.774 in 2001, and became 1.285.844 in 2002. This tragedy had given great impact to Bali’s tourism in particular. This fact can be observed from the drop of tourists arrival to Bali every month in 2003. the most drastic drop occurred in April 2002, i.e. 48.81% with 104,960 people, this figure became 53,726 in April 2003, and in May it was 59.88%,i.e 119,284 people in May 2003 and dropped down to 47,858 visitors in May 2003. This fall was caused by SARS outbreak in the world starting from March until May 2003 which resulted in the fear of people traveling in the world, including the travel to Bali since most foreign aircrafts had made a transit in Singapore before it flew to the other destination. Apart from the bomb blast in Kuta, Bali and SARS epidemic, the drop was also caused by the Iraq war which took place March 2003, and the issue of the 19 Taiwanese tourists who were reported suffering from Gaestero Enteritis and Amoe Biasis in November 2003 in Bali.
This drop has been continuing up to September 2003. In October 2003, there was an increase as much as 20,14% if it was compared to the same month last year, i.e. 81.100 tourists in November 2002, and this number increased to 97,475 tourists in November 2003. In November 2003, there was a significant increase as much as 166.23%, i.e. 31,497 tourists in November 2002, and it increased again up to 83,853 tourists in 2003. In addition, in December 2003, it increased again as much as 48.59%. This increase has proven that the security and safety in Bali are much better than before and the tourism sector has been slowly back to normal as before. Most Balinese community hope that the tourists arrival to Bali will be increasing again in 2004. We are not yet satisfied with this increase in period since there happened a drastic drop in the same period in 2002 because of the bomb blast in Bali, on 12 October 2004.
As a whole, there was a slight drop for tourists arrival to Bali as much as 22.77%, the direct foreign tourists arrival drastically dropped in 2003. This is caused by the drop foreign tourists arrival as much as 73.33% from 15 Bali’s most lucrative market as follow.
Japan dropped at amount of 38.37%
Australia decreased up to 24.27%
Germany went down at 36.48%
United Kingdom went off 48,31%
America dropped to 28,14%
Dutch fell down at 17,84%
French decreased up to 32.08%
New Zealand went down 30.13%
Italy fell down at 62,71%
Canada dropped up to 31,43%
Thailand declined 20,86%
In addition, several countries from 15 biggest tourist market of Bali underwent an increase about 26,67% in term of foreign tourists arrival to Bali. Those countries were Canada increased 31,43%, Thailand went up 20,86%, Taiwan with an increase of 1,05%. South Korea increased 12,99%, Singapore went up 53,77% and Malaysia increased 74,45%. several countries from 15 biggest tourist market of Bali underwent an increase about 26,67% in term of foreign tourists arrival to Bali.
