(4/2/2011)
Hotels in Bali are being urged by the Indonesian Hotel and Restaurant Association (PHRI) to exempt Japanese tourists from any cancellation fees in connection with changes in bookings following the unprecedented natural disaster of the earthquake and tsunami at Honshu.
Calling the waiver of penalty charges a humanitarian act for the people of Japan who find themselves in the midst of a great natural disaster, the chairman of the PHRI-Bali, Tjokorda Oka Artha Ardhana Sukawati (Cok Ace), said he hope hotels would not impose cancellation charges even though the business loss represents as much as 30% of their business for some hotel properties.
"This is just a recommendation, there is no sanction for non-compliance, but I think because business people in Bali have a very close emotional connections (with the Japanese), there should be no problem. If we have problems in Bali in the past they (the Japanese) are very understanding, and now we must be understanding for them," said Cok Ace.
The head of Bali's PHRI who is also the regent of Gianyar and a hotel owner, said he did not think hotels would suffer very much from agreeing not to impose cancellation penalties.
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