A prominent Bali hotelier has warned that the island is heading for a crisis.
Nyoman Astama, general manager of the Bali Niksoma Hotel and spokesperson for the Kuta Executive Club, said that many tourism stakeholders are powerless to ensure the island’s tourism is managed on a well-balanced and sustainable basis because the government takes the lead role in these areas.
Astama’s views were reported by BaliUpdate (www.balidiscovery.com).
He said Bali must work harder to enhance the tourism experience or risk losing the visitors who feed the island’s main source of income.
Astama, who recently returned from a tourism promotional roadshow to five Australian cities, said feedback and complaints gathered from tour operators included traffic congestion, badly maintained roads, criminality – including purse snatching, drug use and fraud committed by moneychangers – and the increasing numbers of beggars operating on the streets and at stoplights.
