The Bali authorities intend to focus on promoting the island as a preferred tourist destination in other potential markets outside of China, including Europe and the United States, as reported by local media.
According to EcoTourism Expert, Putu Astawa, head of Bali Tourism Agency, expressed concern about the impact of the coronavirus outbreak in China on the tourism industry in other countries. He was quoted by CoconutsBali as saying that «there are about seven to nine thousand guests from China who canceled [their trip to Bali]».
The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) recently released a report stating that the economic impact of the outbreak will spread outside China, with tourism-related sectors being the most vulnerable.
Earlier this week, the Bali provincial government announced that the Batur festival in Kintamani, originally scheduled for February 8, was postponed until the situation with the coronavirus improves.
Bali's economy is mainly dependent on tourism, with Chinese tourists being the second largest group of foreign travelers going through Ngurah Rai International Airport in 2019. The number of arriving tourists from China in 2019 amounted to 1.2 million people.
Tourism-related business makes up 80% of its economy.
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