Bali Water Sports operators on the Tanjung Benoa Penninsula show faint signs of renewed life following Bali’s reopening to domestic tourism on 31 July 2020.
With group bookings now rare, Tanjung Benoa Water Sports operators now content themselves with surviving on vastly-reduced income levels that represent a small fraction of what they were in better times.
Putu Agus Sanjaya, a water sports operator on Tanjung Benoa, told detik.com and The State News Agency Antara on Saturday, 31 August 2020, a wide range of health protocols are now in operation for all water sports operators, including hand sanitizing and the routine disinfecting of all sports equipment.
He also revealed that some sports equipment has fallen into disrepair during the pandemic’s prolonged shut-down, meaning that some sports options remain temporarily unavailable until repairs can be undertaken.
“Before the pandemic, the daily income for watersports on the entire Penninsula was between Rp. 100 million to Rp. 150 million, but now totals only around Rp. 50 million for an entire month.”
Putu Agus Sanjaya, a water sports operator on Tanjung Benoa
“Before the pandemic, the daily income for watersports on the entire Penninsula was between Rp. 100 million to Rp. 150 million, but now totals only around Rp. 50 million for an entire month. That money is being diverted to pay for repairs of speed boats and other equipment. In any case, the equipment we use is subjected to the ocean and must be quickly maintained and serviced,” said Sanjaya.
Last year before the pandemic, domestic and international tourists flocked to Tanjung Benoa. Until March of 2020, the Beach was filled with visitors from China, Europe, India, the Middle East, and domestic tourists.
The business downturn has necessitated the furlough of many water sports workers now sitting at home, hoping for business to improve. A typical work complement of 70 workers has been reduced by 70% from among the 23 separate water sports operators based on the peninsula.
