eTN Asia, 9-24-2006
Despite regular hiccups in the form of bombings, Bali isn’t facing any shortage of bullish investors.
It is being openly acknowledged that the island still attracts investors for super-luxury hotels for the rich and famous, providing a fillip to the tourism industry. This is despite two bombings in the past four years.
Bulgari, an Italian brand famous for watches and jeweler, has opened its second luxury hotel in the world on the cliff hills of Bali’s southwest. On its part, The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company is also expanding its operations in the country.
“Bali has changed as a tourist destination in the last decade. There is a growing demand for cultural tourism and a resort experience with a greater ‘sense of place’. Our name change will enable us to respond to the rapidly increasing demand for hotels with individual character and away from ‘generic’ chain branded hotels geared more toward mass-market appeal,” said Peter O’Connor, Ayodya’s general manager.
