Following recent complaints from tourists which have circulated online, officials in Bali have been swift to address to better improve the tourist experience. While the comments themselves have been confirmed to be baseless, officials want to ensure the image of the Island of Gods remains pristine.
The first was from a travel blogger named Sebastian Powell who claimed massive lines and the subsequent was Australian Senator Pauline Hanson who was accused of massive amounts of cow dung.
Powell was invited to promptly leave after officials discovered his processing time upon landing in Bali was just 53-minutes, while senators in Bali have urged the local government to issue a formal apology from the Australian consulate.
The Deputy Governor of Bali, Tjokorda Oka Artha Ardhana Sukawati, also known as Cok Ace, visited Ngurah Rai International Airport following Powell’s comments and found some delays but not to the extent described.
Cok Ace was quoted saying, “passenger’s goods seem to take a long time to process, between 30 minutes to 1 hour” and that the delay is not anyone’s fault. Furthermore, an official from the airport stated that queues rarely exceed an hour and a half, but at peak hours they are busier than normal.
In response, Cok Ace was swiftly able to get 100 additional seats to increase comfort for travelers in the arrival hall. Officials also believe a small endeavor such as this will play a vital role in aiding boosting the tourism sector’s economic revival.
Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy, Sandiaga Uno told reporters that “the 100 seats that are presented are to help tourists feel comfortable.”