6 May 2003SYDNEY - Indonesia specialist operator Garuda Orient
Holidays had a rare reason to smile last week their sales
figures to Bali.
Sydney-based product manager for GOH, Nick Deacok, said
business in the last few days has been the best since the
Bali blasts last October.
"Last week was our busiest week since October 12 --
phone calls, enquiries, quotes and bookings have increased
by a factor of 2-to-1 over recent weeks."
Recent world events had not had a strong affect on
bookings, he said.
"SARS and the Iraq War didn't have much impact on our
business levels. But the release of our latest "Super
Specials" flyer has caused a major turn around in the
market place."
GOH is offering package prices from as low as A$799 for
six days in Bali from the East Coast of Australia.
In its latest promotions, GOH is also attempting to
leverage Bali as a hub for travel onwards into Indonesia
and Asia.
"Bali is an ideal spot from which to combine holidays to
broader destinations, hundreds of which are only an hour or
two's travel away," said GOH general manager Ian
Norris.
"Where else can you fly to Asia very inexpensively then
stay in five-star accommodation for less than half the
going rate internationally? This is a great opportunity to
onsell other destinations as part of a holiday
package."
Norris believes Bali has escaped the worst effects of
the SARs virus - Indonesia having fewer reported cases than
Australia - because of the low-rise nature of urban and
hospitality developments there.
"SARS seems to have impacted most prolifically in
destinations where people are highly concentrated in
high-rise flats and other accommodation, which is certainly
not the case in Bali. One of Bali's assets is that people
have room to spread out and relax," he said.