Number of Singaporean Tourists Falls

Due to Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS)), the number of Singaporean tourists visiting Bali has fallen by up to 35% in the last 2 months, according to the Regional Director of ASEAN and Africa, Singapore Tourism Promotion Board (STB), Aloysius Arlando, speaking in Jakarta on 16th May. The statistical data of the Bali Tourism Board (BTB) shows an average of 20,000 tourists coming directly to Bali each year. Because of SARS, the number of foreign tourists including Indonesia in their travel plans a low point. A lot of Indonesian citizens also visit Singapore - 1.2 million in 2002.
STB will continue to cooperate with Garuda Indonesia Flight Enterprises and Singapore Airlines to encourage tourism in this area. After the Bali bombing tragedy, Singapore Airlines offered special ‘Bali Holidays’ with competitive prices and this program succeed in bringing more than 15,000 foreign tourists to Bali including Singaporean citizen. In December 2002, for example, the number of Singaporean visitors to Bali reached to more than 5000 people.
Hotel and travel agencies in Bali have appereciated the help this ‘Bali Holidays package has provided and many of them have also asked that Singapore Airlines consider extending the program up until June, before the peak season. However, because of the SARS attack, the number of people interested in taking a vacation has decreased suddenly.(BTN/004)