0 Water sports operators enjoy lucrative period

Water sports operators in Bali are enjoying a more lucrative time during the year-end holiday’s due to the surge of tourists arriving on the island. Made Tromat, chairman of the Indonesian Marine Tourism Association (Gahawisri) for Badung regency, said that companies operating in Tanjung Benoa were enjoying an average 70 percent increase in the number of customers. The water sports operators began to see a surge in customers from Sunday, Dec. 23, he said, when domestic tourists started to flock to the island. 

“In just one day, the number of customers could reach 4,000 people, mostly domestic tourists,” he told Bali Daily on Tuesday. One of the favorite activities is visits to Turtle Island, located just 15 minutes from Tanjung Benoa by glass-bottom boat. On the way to the island, tourists can also watch the underwater scenery. To ensure the safety and comfort of tourists, especially in the peak season, the water sports operators in the area have joined together to establish a task force. 

Comprising personnel from each company, the task force is responsible for safeguarding the area, managing the traffic flow and parking zones, as well as preserving the underwater area. Pandawa Marine Adventures, one of the main water sports companies, has seen a huge jump in the number of customers this peak season. On normal days, there are usually between 50 to 100 guests per day. “During this Christmas and New Year holiday, we have been able to accept around 400 customers each day. 

This is double the number we had in the same period last year,” said the owner, I Made Mandi Widhiana. The rising number of customers was also attributed to Internet promotional activities, including through a website and social media. Many tourists who have enjoyed the water sports also share their experiences on their blogs and social media accounts, thus attracting more people to come to Bali. “To reach a wider market segment, we also cooperate with hotels by providing shuttle minibuses for hotel guests to visit our area,” Widhiana said. 

The destination offers various fun and challenging activities, including parasailing, banana boats, jet skis, flying fish, diving, snorkeling, dolphin tours, coral fishing, sea walking and underwater sightseeing by glass-bottom boat. “The favorite activity is sea walking, especially for people who want to have an underwater experience but cannot swim and are afraid to go snorkeling or diving,” he said. Widhiana also said that safety should be enhanced by implementing standard safety procedures while taking part in water sport activities, providing insurance cover and providing convenient parking areas. 

Although the company was welcoming more customers, it had not implemented a tariff hike for the peak season, he said. The tariff had however increased by 10 percent several months ago when fuel prices were increased. Around 75 percent of the water sports companies’ customers in Tanjung Benoa and Nusa Dua are domestic tourists from major cities, like Bandung, Jakarta and Surabaya. The remaining guests are foreigners from China, Japan, Korea and Germany. Widhiana said that the number of tourists would increase further when the ongoing road project connecting Benoa, Ngurah Rai and Nusa Dua completed next year.

source : bali daily