Four Indonesian Airlines Serve Bali-China Chartered Flights

Kuta (Antara Bali) - Four Indonesian airlines serve chartered flights between Bali and China to facilitate transport for growing number of holiday makers from that country during the Chinese new year.

The airlines include Garuda Indonesia, Citilink, Lion Air and Sriwijaya, Trikora Harjo, the General manager of state airport operator PT Angkasa Pura I said.

Demand for chartered flights is high to last until March, Trikora Harjo said here on Wednesday.

Angkasa Pura received orders for 402 China-Bali-China chartered flights to be served by a number if airlines, he said.

So far only 217 flights or 54 percent of the orders had been carried out with more than 10,000 passengers from China.

"Hopefully the orders that started in January could be fully carried until March," Trikora said.

The long Chinese holidays contribute significantly to the total number of holiday makers in Bali, he said.

Chinese tourists dominated foreign holidaymakers in Bali in number during the Chinese new year, he added.

Data from the Ngurah Rai airport on Saturday showed that there were 25,135 domestic passengers in 213 flights and 26,061 passengers of 157 international flights .

The numbers of domestic flights surged on Sunday the day before the new year with 220 flights carrying 25,952 passengers with 157 international flights carrying 25,140 passengers.

The airport company had to train around 50 officers to serve the Chinese visitors to speak in Mandarin.

Earlier Tourism Minister Arief Yahya said said other airlines serving chartered flights from China to Bali include HongKong Airlines, Shenzen airlines, Air Asia, China Southern, China Eastern, Dragon Air, Cathay Paciific, Eva Air, Singapore Airlines, Brunai Air, etc.

Arief said Bali seemed to have become the favorite destination of Chinese tourists celebrating the Chinese new year.

He said the airlines could serve to promote Bali in China.

"They speak about good things about Bali, its beauty and generosity of its people, " he said.

He attributed the success in luring Chinese to Bali to intensive advertising, and sales by a marketing team of the tourism ministry.

He said he had instructed the provision of 6,000 souvenirs for the tourists and facilities to entertain the visitors.

The tourism ministry has launched promotion campaigns to attract Chinese to cerebrate Chinese new year in Bali since early January.

"Winter in northern China including Beijing and the province of Heilongjiang is extreme 15 degree Celsius below zero prompting people from that region to leave for warm places and choose Bali to celebrate the new year," he said.

In 2016, the tourism ministry sets the target for foreign visitors to Bali at 1.7 million . In February alone the target is set at 200,000 visitors.

"China is a potential market , a big market. Therefore it needs special handling," Arief said.

Arief said currently only 1.14 million Chinese tourists visit Indonesia a year far smaller than 8 million to Thailand.

"We have been lagging too far behind . If they are so interested in visiting Thailand , they should be more so in Indonesia," he said, adding Indonesia needs only to intensify promotion. (WDY)