Bali government is hoped to be more proactive with the current tourism crisis

On Friday, April 25, 2003, a group of 10 KADIN members from Bali led by Gede Wiratha, who also serves as the Chairman of the Bali Chapter of the Indonesian Hotel and Restaurant Association (PHRI) visited Bali's Provincial Parliament (DPRD) to familiarize local political representatives with the many problems currently confronting the island's tourism sector.

As it was reported that since the attack on the World Trade Center, the bombing of October 2002 of a Bali nightspot, the SARS epidemic, now facing the latest threat embodied in the Presidential decree that will effectively eliminate the visa-free-on-arrival facility currently enjoyed by the citizens of 48 countries.

In addition, Gede Wiratha was also reported that a united states is demanded by the current situation in Bali involving the government, DPRD, industry members and the people. In this regard he called for the DPRD to take more proactive role in mediating and coordinating Bali's response to the current crisis.

While responding the chairman of PHRI, Gede Wiratha, the Chairman of Bali's DPRD, Wesnawa confirmed that his body will soon be convening hearings involving the tourism industry, academics, and immigration authorities to collect additional input on the new visa ruling and calculate the various economic effects of the new ruling on Bali's economy.