BALI, Indonesia (2 Oct 2005) -- Three years after the 2002 bombings, Bali's nightclubs were again packed with sunburned tourists from around the world. Hotels were hard to find on a weekend. But the latest blasts in two popular tourist areas sent visitors running for the airport again -- and stoked fears that this time, the terrorists may have inflicted far worse damage on the Indonesian island's crucial tourist. "I myself do not feel safe, let alone our foreign guests," said Wayan Linting, a masseur on Bali's famous Kuta beach. "I have had only one customer today. If things stay like this I worry I will not be able to eat." However, some visitors said they would not cut short their holidays short after three bombings at crowded restaurants killed at least 26 people and injured more than 100 Saturday night. Unlike after the 2002 attacks -- which killed 202 people, mostly foreigners -- Bali's airport on Sunday was not completely jammed with tourists desperate to get any flight off the island. Aside from areas near the bomb sites, most cafes and shops were open. Many who chose to stay gave a reason that is by now familiar: Leaving would give the terrorists a victory. "No one should be afraid to come here," said Andy Lewis of Ventura, California, who was on a two-week surfing trip. "If people flee or don't return, it means terrorism has won. Come and have a good time and spend some money," he said as he watched the famed Kuta beach sunset. The beach -- a short walk from the sites of the 2002 attacks and one of Saturday's blasts -- had a fair-sized crowd of sunbathing foreigners, surfers and local youths playing soccer on Sunday. Still, some tourists wanted out, and tourism industry insiders brooded over the future. "We were up all night trying to change our ticket," said Veli-Matti Enqvist, a 51-year-old businessman from Finland, who had been scheduled to leave Bali with his wife on Wednesday. "We had to switch airlines, but we finally found something." Enqvist said he and his wife were heading to Jimbaran Beach for a seafood dinner on Saturday night when they heard a loud explosion and saw people running in panic. They had no doubt it was a bomb attack. "We turned right back to our hotel and started calling agents," he said, standing in a long line of passengers waiting to check in at Bali's airport. Vendors said business was sharply down on what should have been one of the year's busiest weekends, with thousands of Indonesian tourists on the island before the Islamic fasting month of Ramadan begins on Tuesday. "The tourists will be worried," said drinks seller Carsan, who earns less than US$4 (euro3.32) a day. "But hopefully they will take a reasonable view that bombs can happen anywhere." | | Bali terrorist bombings targeted Kuta and other popular tourist areas. While some travel agents in Asia said tourists were canceling Bali bookings, Ken Scott, director of the Thailand-based Pacific Asia Travel Association, said the bombings' effect on tourism would depend on what support Indonesia offers bombing victims and their relatives. "Travelers around the world are now a little bit more experienced and wise. Many of them understand that a terrorist strike could happen virtually anywhere," he said. "You could potentially be a victim if you stay at home." Australia's flagship airline, Qantas Airways Ltd., was set to run a special flight Sunday to carry Australians home from Bali and to give refunds or waivers to travelers with tickets for Bali or other parts of Indonesia. British tour operators said the 2002 bombings kept many Britons from Bali, and they expected the latest attacks to hit the island's tourist trade again. "This will depress U.K. visitor levels again -- there is no question about that," said Keith Betton, corporate affairs head of the Association of British Travel Agents. "After October 2002, Bali was not offered as a destination by U.K. tour operators for a while, and went on sale again last year. At the time of the 2002 bombings, there were about 3,000 British tourists in Bali, Betton said. There are currently around 1,000 visiting the island, he said. Tourism contributes around 5 percent of Indonesia's gross domestic product, and most of the foreign tourism dollars are spent on Bali and neighboring Lombok island. |
