Branding is important to any industry. Putting an image in people’s minds and working it is what drives business. The whole ‘Bali aura’ is exactly that, conjuring up an image from the 1940′s of a tranquil tropical island, unspoilt by industry and rich in cultural tradition. Add on some idyllic scenes and a few topless local women in sarongs and you’ve got a package.
Here’s more from the Jakarta Post.
Bali’s image / aura is well understood and a recent survey among Balinese locals supports the idea that the local culture / icons represent Bali the best, over let’s say a ‘beach resort’. Bali’s
customers come from all over the world and seek different things entirely. There are the party
groups from Australia who come for the beach, shopping and evening pub crawls. The surfing crowd rarely goes more than a mile inland and the culture seekers sometimes avoid the Kuta / Seminyak scene altogether. So its a pretty mixed bag. In my opinion the image is not the problem. The problem is getting the image in front of enough people and dealing with some of the nonsense that goes on in Bali.
Points to be dealt with for marketing:
Bali is the most unique island in the world physically (diving, surfing, massive mountain calderas
with fresh water lakes) and culturally (Bali has experienced a cultural transition with influences
from Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam and a colonial period). Bali also has world class hotels, some great restaurants, spas and nightlife locations. Most people on their first visit to Bali are unaware of this. A friend of mine who has travelled extensively thought Bali was just another version of Phuket, palm trees, hotel and a beaches. The message needs to be put out there to make people realize their interests / needs / wants will be catered for.
Points to be dealt with locally:
If a tropical beach is part of your marketing plan then you had better take care of it. More villas mean more pollution and much of it goes straight into the ocean. Who wants to swim on Kuta / Legian / Seminyak beach if its a toilet?
Start working on an island wide garbage strategy. The 2 current strategies (chuck garbage everywhere or burn it) aren’t working. Chucking plastic garbage down every street and stream do nothing to help the tourist industry. Burning plastic garbage creates a really unpleasant situation, especially for the locals who have to breathe the air. On a recent trip to Gunung Batukaru, I rode through Tabanan after dark. For miles the air was a toxic fog of straw, plastic and other garbage. Locals burn small fires in the drainage gullies outside their houses to rid them of mosquitoes. They also pile on some garbage. When everyone is doing this tit creates a noxious atmosphere that is entirely unhealthy and unappealing. Heading up the mountain the air clears quickly, but you have to wonder what the people are thinking.
Local corruption:
This is an ongoing problem and is directly responsible for many of Bali’s problems. The roads deteriorate quickly because the materials used to make them are not sufficient. When a contract gets passed down for a new road, large chunks of funds get diverted, leaving only part of them money to finish the job. Road surfaces and the amount of tar used get slashed and so the road surface will no last. This mechanism is at play in the local education, with insufficient funds for materials. Without a decent education Balinese locals have to get in line for job behind the better educated Javanese who come to manage many of Bali’s hotels.
In my opinion the 3 goals of the tourist industry for Bali should be:
Protecting the natural environment
Preserving Balinese culture
Creating a strong local economy that provides desirable opportunities for Balinese people.
Seems like the tourist industry is a like a pack of headless chooks, but maybe this new branding is a start for something more constructive.
