According to statistics on Bali interest in the wake of the reality TV show What Really Happens in Bali, Australian tourists appear to be even more inclined to take a break here.
Figures from hotel search site trivago.com.au show Australian interest in Bali has grown in the two months since the show first went to air.
Searches spiked for some of the most popular holiday spots among Australians, including Kuta (a 59 per cent increase), Nusa Dua (64 per cent) and Seminyak (86 per cent).
The Channel 7 show, which premiered with more than 1 million viewers (a number which has been dwindling since) drew attention to the seedier side of the popular destination, from the spread of STDs to dangers lurking in locally brewed drinks. The TV show also showed more positive aspects of life on Bali like community engagement between locals and expats, and the innocent fun that can also be had on the island.
In comparison to last year, Indonesia jumped from the third most searched-for country during June to the second most popular this year, trivago spokeswoman Bianca Delbao said.
“Our data shows that the exposure actually creates hype and increased travel interest to the destination,” she said.
Official figures also show an increase in Bali travel. In June this year there were 86,292 Australian tourist arrivals here while in June 2013, 72,678 arrived – an increase of nearly 20%.
Political instability in Thailand, which culminated in a coup in late May, has also been credited for driving renewed interest in Bali, with the local tourism industry ramping up promotions and deals in a bid to capture holiday-makers reluctant to go to Thailand.
The stats aren’t in yet, but it appears that more Aussies are on the way.
Source –
The Beat Mag
Bali Statistics Image – indosurflife.com
