While the anticipated flow from China has yet to materialise, regional buys are strong, particularly from Singapore, with South Korea and India also making an impact for some hotels. Several hotels are seeing increasing demand from long-haul markets including USA and UK. In the luxury and five-star accommodation segment, Australia’s performance is mixed – buoyant for some but slow for others.
“Bali hotels have shown improved performance in meetings and incentives compared to pre-pandemic levels in 2019,” noted Andry Kurnyawan, director of public relations and marketing for InterContinental Bali Resort.
“While Australia historically plays a crucial role in Bali’s tourism, projected demand from the Australian business market for 2024 seems limited at present. There’s anticipation for late decisions to potentially increase Australian bookings closer to event dates. In contrast, there’s currently a noticeable rise in enquiries and demand from the European market.”
Location-wise, top-tier Uluwatu hotels are proving popular for incentive programs, with all-villa resorts seeing 60 per cent to full buyouts. Jimbaran hotels are doing well too, complemented by the recently renovated Jimbaran Convention Center. Bigger hotels in established favourites like Nusa Dua are also drawing international conferences, business meetings and incentives.
Australia is one of the top five markets for Apurva Kempinski Bali. Besides having a 1,000-pax ballroom, five meeting rooms and extensive outdoor lawn for events, it benefits from proximity to two convention centres and two golf courses. Themed months featuring regional Indonesia and the local community proved popular this year and sustainability aspects will be woven into the offering next year.
