The pressure is mounting for Australia to follow the United States’ lead in revoking its advisory against travel to Bali, Indonesia.
Adding to those putting pressure on the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs & Trade (DFAT) is the Little Bali Hotel & Resort Company (LBHRC). The LBHRC call for action follows the release of a State Department statement issued on Sunday, 25 May advising the US government’s decision to lift the warning, in place since November 2000, “due to objective improvements made by Indonesia in its current security situation.”
LBHRC founder Mike Parker-Brown said he was hopeful DFAT would quickly follow the US government lead in downgrading its current grade four “reconsider your need to travel” advisory to a lower level.
“The US government has obviously recognized the investments the Indonesian government has made, financially, time wise and with manpower and technology, to make the destination much safer,” Parker-Brown said.
The LBHRC founder said it was ironic that while the level four advisory had stood in place for more than five years, the government recommendation had done little to deter Australians visiting the destination in their droves.
Bali, Parker-Brown said, is now receiving more Australian visitors than at any other time with hoteliers anticipating their best year ever following on from a 70 percent increase in Australian business in 2007.
According to the Indonesian government, Australian visitor arrivals to Bali for the period January to December 2007 totaled 204,421 compared to the 117, 969 total recorded for the same period in 2006.