Anantara Seminyak to Enrich Bali
as Tourist Destination

Next month the Bali brand, namely Shanti Shanti Shanti will celebrate being a year old. It was effectively launched by Governor of Bali, Dewa Beratha last June (2007) on the opening of the 27th Bali Arts Festival (BAF). Following the launching, Provincial Government of Bali together with the brand team intensively publicized it to several government institutions, including introducing it in a wide variety of international and domestic tourism events.

According to the Head of Bali Government Tourism Office, I Gede Nurjaya, socialization to regency/city across Bali has reached 6 out of 9 regencies consisting of Denpasar, Gianyar, Klungkung, Bangli, Karangasem and Badung. “Three other regencies, namely Buleleng, Tabanan and Jembrana will be targeted in the near future,” he added.
For those regencies and city government that have been targeted, the response is said to be sufficient. All targeted governments positively welcomed the brand as Bali has engendered a brand that is inseparable from the philosophy of Hindu society in Bali namely Tri Hita Karana (THK). “As a matter of fact, it’s our expectation. Firstly, it should be strong internally (in Bali) and then we also intensively target the external market,” he revealed. In Denpasar, Gianyar and Bangli participants, including executive and legislative officers, voiced appreciation that Shanti Shanti Shanti has been created in harmony with the philosophy of Balinese people and through measurable research and methodology.
Promotional endeavor and introducing such a brand to overseas markets remains run in keeping with the participation of Bali Government Tourism Office (BGTO) in several international tourism events like ITB Berlin, Roadshow to India and Malaysia. Even, in WTM in London in 2007, Nurjaya was specially interviewed by one of the prominent radio stations, Smart FM London to explain about the birth of Bali brand.
Division Head of Promotion at the Bali Government Tourism Office, Nyoman Wardawan revealed that in 2008 every tourism event or roadshow at home and overseas participated by BGTO always schedules the Bali brand to be introduced to buyers in order the market could gradually recognize and respond to it.
Coordinator of Bali Tourism Board (BTB), Ngurah Wijaya stated that since the very beginning BTB has shored up what has been undertaken by government. However, he asked that it prepares a budget and synergizes with the industry to promote the Bali brand into the international market. “But, in reality the government runs its own method and neglects the role of industry. Whereas, frankly speaking, regarding promotion of tourism products, our colleagues in the industry are immensely proficient,” said Ngurah Wijaya while ensuring that on the event of Bali Village in Australia, his party also introduced the brand of this bijou island of Bali.
In 2008, the BGTO obtained an allocation budget worth IDR 16 billion, an increase of 20% of the previous year (IDR 13 billion). A resource person of Image-BTN in Bali House of Representatives mentioned that the increase of promotional budget was because the House sees a new product proposed by the executive on the budget proposal, namely the promotion of Bali brand. “Without such a brand, it’s impossible to obtain the budget of that amount,” observed the resource person who was not willing to be named. Out of IDR 16 billion of promotional budgets for the BGTO, the promotion division got allocation of IDR 5 billion, the same as in the previous year.
There remains enough time to publicize the Shanti Shanti Shanti brand if the Provincial Government together with private sector synergize and sacrifice their time, energy, thinking and extra funds. No more space and time for making meaningless discourse, moreover debating about the matter of this brand. (Image/013)