Bali: 5 Million Foreign Tourists by 2015?

(11/27/2010)

Bali's visionary governor I Made Mangku Pastika remains confident that foreign tourist arrivals will continue to grow, reaching 5 million visitors by 2015. If achieved, this would be a more than 100% increase from the 2.3-2.4 million foreign visitors projected for all of 2010.

Pastika told Radar Bali that he did not feel his target was unrealistic, saying: "This target (for tourist arrivals) is not overly ambitious. Traffic jams and congestion are only occurring in Kuta, Nusa Dua and Ubud." The governor is adamant that there are many other areas of Bali that posses their own unique and attractive qualities capable of accommodating and attracting tourist visitors."

Pastika believes steps must be taken to more equally distribute tourism activities to all parts of the island, reducing the current over-concentration of visitors in the south.

The governor also wishes to expand Bali's business base by constructing an international standard hospital opening the door for Bali to become a medical tourism destination.