Opinion

You can listen to this article here: I have long been a huge fan and advocate of tourism, promoting it, working on branding ideas and creating programs for cities, islands and countries for years. I’ve handled PR for airlines, published inflight magazines, made post-crisis recovery programs (of which there have been too many in Indonesia-and

Part of their on-going efforts to encourage the continued use of the Balinese language, the foundation BASABali organises regular writing contests inviting Balinese to freely and honestly express themselves across a range of topics. In the latest campaign, they invited Balinese millennials to share their thoughts on the issue currently most affecting their lives: how

In the last two to three weeks, Bali has enjoyed an increase in domestic tourism. This has been a mixture of post-Idul Fitri escapes, school holidays and perhaps some credit should be given to the Work from Bali campaign too. With this increased interest, I have had friends living in Jakarta (and other parts of

Mysterious images of a distant exotic island of the East Indies began circulating in Europe in 1920. During an era when Europe was reeling from the horrors of World War I and the fear of a communist revolution, the photos published in two volumes, ‘Bali’, caused a minor sensation. They struck a chord with disillusioned

Bali attracts intellectuals, artists, seekers and the inquisitive by the millions. Art, culture and the curiosity to experience an alternative culture initiated the island’s tourism industry over a century ago. 2020 was a benchmark in global social and cultural upheaval representing the dawning of a new age of personal and collective transformation. The pandemic has

Since Covid penetrated the country, I often go to Sanur. I already have a favourite spot there: the soft, empty chairs from the Hotel Sindhu café, right on the beachfront. There, I look pensively out to where the land, sea and sky meet. I contemplate nature, the meaning of life and death. From my favourite

I have been using this very simple theory of business stability for many years to explain why I created four different aspects to my own business, but as we look at the serious challenges that Bali faces in its recovery from the pandemic, I thought “maybe we should apply the same concept to Bali?” The

Dr. Ir. Tjokorda Oka Artha Ardana Sukawati, M.Si. commonly called Cok Ace (CA) is the Vice Governor of Bali. He has served alongside incumbent Governor of Bali, I Wayan Koster, since 5 September 2018.  Cok Ace has served as Regency of Gianyar Regency (2008-2013) as well as in many tourism capacities , including the Hotel and Restaurant Association (

The Covid crisis has hit Bali hard and exposed something we knew to be a real possibility, an economy too dependent on a single sector. Bali’s economy was, and still is, 80-85% dependent directly or indirectly on tourism. Farmers, drivers and local shops are still dependent on tourists coming and eating, hiring buses and taxis

Jimmy Knowles, a friend of mine in Connecticut, is a sculptor and many years ago I watched in fascination as he used a crane to get a huge tree trunk into position then attacked it with a buzz–saw. “Are you serious?”I asked, “what are you doing?’” “Creating, my boy, creating!’ he said. He hacked a

Who do you identify with? So many people feel close to celebrities who somehow reinforce their feelings of who they are. This often happens with singers whose lyrics resonate with the challenges and transitions in people’s lives. They know every word on their albums and you can see them singing along at concerts . Others

What the last few years has shown us here in Bali is that too much of the island is dependent on one industry: tourism. Are there other industries that are worth exploring and expanding for Bali’s economic future? According to a study by the Indonesia Institue (Monash University), 80 percent of Bali’s GDP is dependent