Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
However, the advance of tourism continued. In 1971, about 33 percent of the island's in-
come was derived from tourism; by 2012, it was more than 65 percent. Bali is one of Indone-
sia's wealthiest provinces, with average income exceeding that on neighbouring Java.
Brand Bali
Bali has an extremely high
global profile
and is regularly voted one of the top island destin-
ations in the world. This image, however, was sorely tested by the terrorist attacks of 2002
and 2005. Without Bali's high profile and the global interest in the island, it is unlikely that
the island would have held any interest for the bombers.
Following the Kuta bombing on October 12, 2002, the island emptied of tourists overnight.
However, when it was discovered that the bombers were Muslims, the Hindu population
of Bali made no moves against Muslim communities or individuals on the island. Many
Balinese interpreted the bombing as an indication that the gods were angry and on November
15, 2002, a huge purification ceremony was carried out. The annual commemoration service
has always been an interfaith service.
With an estimated eighty percent of the population relying on tourism for their living in
some way or another, the economy nosedived. By June 2003, a World Bank report estim-
ated that the average Balinese income had dropped by forty percent. The fate of Lombok,
inextricably linked to that of its more famous neighbour, mirrored Bali's exactly. However,
within a year there were signs of recovery aided by messages to the world that Bali was safe
and needed tourists to return and support the island. When bombers struck again on October
1, 2005, in Kuta and Jimbaran, tourist arrivals plummeted again. Still, once again, Bali re-
covered and tourist numbers now exceed those before the bombs.
Economy versus culture
Whatever the
economic benefits
to the island, in studies by Universitas Udayana (the
University of Bali), some Balinese people described tourism as a tempest. Particular concerns
related to tourism damaging
religion
; they condemned the desecration of temples by tourists
and the fact that Balinese involved in the industry neglected their religious duties.
Even when tourism is thriving, the financial advantages are unevenly spread and there re-
main significant pockets of poverty on the island. Similarly, profits from multinational hotel
chains flood out of the island. Equally concerning to many Balinese, the island is now a
magnet for migrants from across Indonesia. Some people describe Kuta Beach as
universitas
pantai
, the beach university. Although many of the traders, from all across Indonesia, have no
formal education, they end up as skilled, multilingual communicators with sales skills second
to none and proceed to take jobs from the Balinese. A local phrase tells that “… the migrant
sells beef balls to buy land, while the Balinese sells land to buy beef balls”. Some tourist
