Is the Aussie love affair with Bali dead?

Stranded in Bali - Oh no!0:29

Celebs and holiday makers continue to wait as volcanic ash grounds flights

The number of Australians visiting Bali has levelled out after several years of growth. Picture: Agung Parameswara/Getty Images.

Robyn IronsideNews Corp Australia Network

AUSTRALIA has lost its crown as Bali’s biggest source of international visitors, with Chinese travellers overtaking us in the first three months of this year.

Figures provided by the Indonesia Institute, show Aussie visitors to Bali grew less than two per cent in the quarter, whereas the number of Chinese boomed almost 30 per cent.

It follows an apparent “cooling off” in Australia’s passionate love affair with the Indonesian holiday isle — with annual visitor numbers plateauing out at just under a million.

Indonesia Institute President Ross Taylor said it was unlikely Australia would ever recover its crown from China as Bali’s number one tourist market.

Not so hot? Bali may be losing its appeal as an overseas holiday destination for Aussies. Picture: iStock

Not so hot? Bali may be losing its appeal as an overseas holiday destination for Aussies. Picture: iStockSource:Supplied

“We’ll always be a very important market for Bali but with so many Chinese travelling, they’re not so concerned if Australians come or not,” said Mr Taylor.

“Australia is a mature market for Bali and there’s simply not much scope for more growth.”

Roy Morgan Research showed a possible turning point for Aussie travellers, was the executions of drug traffickers Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran a year ago to the day.

Prior to the men’s deaths, 242,000 Aussies were planning a Bali holiday but that figure plunged to 97,000 the next month.

Volcanic eruptions that disrupted the travel of thousands of Aussies also acted as a deterrent, along with an official travel advisory warning of the high probability of terrorist attacks.

Group Account Director for Roy Morgan Research, Angela Smith, said curiously the impact of terror attacks on holiday intentions appeared to be lessening.

Serious business. DFAT warnings of probable terrorist attacks may be turning Aussies off. Picture: Agung Parameswara/Getty Images

Serious business. DFAT warnings of probable terrorist attacks may be turning Aussies off. Picture: Agung Parameswara/Getty ImagesSource:Supplied

“Possibly because people are becoming more used to the new travel climate in which the threat of terrorism is an unfortunate part of the mix,” said Ms Smith.

Mr Taylor said Dr Sidney Jones from the Institute for Policy Analysis of Conflict in Jakarta, had advised that a significant orchestrated attack on Bali was very unlikely.

“There’s more danger of a lone wolf attack,” he said.

“Dr Jones’ opinion is that the expertise required for such an attack is not available in Indonesia, but that could change if Indonesian fighters who’ve gone to Syria decide to come home.”

Australian Federation of Travel Agents CEO Jayson Westbury said there was no doubt Bali was being overlooked to some extent by Aussies spoiled by choice.

Terror target? Experts are unconvinced a terrorist attack on Bali is imminent, but tourists may not be taking chances. Picture: Agung Parameswara/Getty Images

Terror target? Experts are unconvinced a terrorist attack on Bali is imminent, but tourists may not be taking chances. Picture: Agung Parameswara/Getty ImagesSource:Supplied

“There are so many great airfares to so many places, and people who’ve been to Bali once or twice may be looking to go somewhere else,” said Mr Westbury.

“That’s probably why we haven’t seen growth.”

Flight Centre spokesman Haydn Long said the downturn in the mining sector was another contributing factor to a slowing in growth.

“Miners would often fly from Western Australia to Bali after their shifts ended, and back in time for their next shift,” said Mr Long.

“You also have to consider that although pricing is good (on Bali routes), we’re seeing that on many other routes — New York, Hawaii and London for example.”

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