Tourism numbers fall in Bali

Reading the Jakarta Post today I see the latest tourism figures are way down on last year. The month before the October 1st Bali Bomb II, we got 162,102 arrivals. October gave us 81,109 and November only 62,705.

The factors at work here are of course the bombing itself, and also the traditional low season during these months. November is the start of the wet season and right now isn’t the best weather, with a good dose of rain lasting a good part of the day. Air Paradise has closed and foreign governments warm of possible attacks in Indonesia over the Christmas / New Year period. Add all that up and its not hard to see why numbers are down. On a positive note, the things that make Bali a great destination haven’t changed. Warm people, good weather (usually), awesome surfing, extremely affordable, interesting culture, good restaurants and nightlife.

When the festive season is over and we get through the wet seaon I hope Bali can move back into the future and continue its development. I tell you rental price on houses have continued to climb, so many people are positive about the future here.