Execution Of Australian Convicts Will Not Affect Tourism: Bali Governor

Denpasar (Antara Bali) -- The governor of Bali believes that the increasing tensions in the relations between Indonesia and Australia due to the planned execution of two Australian convicts will not significantly affect tourism on the island.

"There will not be much impact," Governor Made Mangku Pastika said here on Friday.

Pastika added that he believes tourists from Australia will not stop visiting the island due to the planned execution of the leaders of the Bali Nine drug ring, Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran, because Bali has been the favorite tourist destination of a majority of the Australian population.

With regard to calls for a boycott that have been spread widely over Australian social media networks, he reiterated that Australian tourists will continue to visit Bali.

"What kind of boycott would they impose? Will they be banned from coming to Bali? Is such a ban allowed? Will the people (Australians) adhere to it?" he remarked.

In addition, Pastika, who is also the former chief of the Bali regional police command, stated that the police security measures that Australia has complained about were part of normal security procedures.

"They are part of police procedures and not a problem," he affirmed.

Chan and Sukumaran, the two Australian citizens who will be executed soon, have already been transferred from Kerobokan Prison in Bali to Nusakambangan in Central Java, where the execution will be carried out.

Moreover, the Australian government has taken various efforts to cancel their execution, including proposing a prisoner swap that the Indonesian government firmly rejected, stating that it has no law regulating such a move.

Furthermore, the Association of Indonesian Tours & Travel Agencies (ASITA) shared the governor`s opinion, adding, "Australians who travel to Bali are repeat visitors (tourists who frequent Bali). They will not be concerned about the issue," Chairman of ASITA Bali Ketut Ardana affirmed here on Wednesday.

According to Ardana, Australian tourists consider Bali their second home as the island is located close to the country.

Similarly, the issue over the boycott will not significantly affect tourist arrivals either.

"In Australia, there are rumors circulating about the boycott. However, the country`s political opponents also support the execution. There are both pros and cons," he noted.

According to data revealed by the Central Bureau of Statistics, 991,923 Australian tourists visited Bali, an increase of 20 percent as compared to the number of tourists recorded the previous year.

Also, in January 2015, Bali recorded 85,059 tourist arrivals from Australia. (WDY)