Bali Bashing and Media Hype

Opinion commentary from Ian Norris, Managing Director of San Michele Travel in Sydney, regarding reaction to recent developments in Bali.

I have followed with alarm the hysteria surrounding the Schapelle Corby case, and the call from some sectors of our industry to boycott travel to Bali if she is found guilty.

Without casting any opinion on whether this young lady is guilty of any crime ? and how can anyone from this distance without hearing all the evidence? ? I wonder about the people within our industry who are intent on an orgy of Bali and Indonesia bashing at a time when relations with Indonesia have never been better.

A measured criticism between friends is fair enough, but some people within our industry have set themselves up as judge, jury and sentencing authority in another pyrotechnic display of national immaturity.

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Anyone who suggests we should boycott Bali because of the Schapelle Corby case is misguided at best. Such nonsense will only hurt the Balinese, and risk causing lasting ill-will. For what? For the sake a newspaper headline!

Are they that desperate for publicity for their own businesses?

The irony is that if a boycott was to happen then it would be punishing the innocent ? which is what they are complaining about!

And where does this boycott nonsense stop? If we set ourselves up as the supreme arbiters of right and wrong, are we not exposing ourselves to counter-boycotts on any one of a whole range of national and international issues on which we are vulnerable? Would these people within our travel industry who are calling for these boycotts be happy for other countries to boycott tourism to Australia because of our Government's treatment of illegal immigrants?

Travel agents who join any boycott in the heat of the moment will be remembered long after this issue has gone cold. They may be cutting themselves out of one of the best travel markets Australia has now and well into the future. And they will be cutting themselves off from one of the most loyal friends that the Australian travel industry has ever had ? the Balinese.

From airlines to wholesalers and retail agents, the Australian travel industry has benefited greatly from tourism to Bali. Since the early 1990s there have been unfortunate events that have severely affected tourism in Bali.

These have ranged from the pre-democracy woes, Government elections demonstrations, fires and SARS to the worst event of all, the bombings of October 12th, 2002. But, given all these setbacks, Bali has proven to be a resilient destination, and it has always bounced back to be the number one tourist destination from Australia.

Bali has served the Australian travel industry well, and most of us have prospered through selling tourism to Bali. For a small sector of that same industry to call for a boycott to punish the beautiful people of Bali about an issue over which they have no control is beyond belief.

Website: www.asiatravel.com.au