Fears the attack could dent a revival in tourism have, so far, not been realised When news of the Australian embassy bombing in Jakarta hit Bali, beach masseuse Ketut Madiana let out a cry of anguish. 'Just when Bali is getting back on its feet, this happens,' Ms Ketut said. 'Please, no need to feel afraid, Bali is safe. There is no terrorism here.' Her desperate attempt at reassurance has been echoed across the island over the past week, amid fears an exodus of foreign tourists would take its economic recovery back to square one. Tourism to Bali has been bouncing back from the October 2002 attack on two nightspots that killed 202 people, mostly western tourists. The streets have been humming with optimism. You have not been able to get a table at Seminyak's trendy restaurants without booking, hotels have been full and charging high-season rates, new developments are springing up across the island and traffic along the main tourist strip in Kuta is gridlocked, just like old times. The latest official statistics show that in July, foreign arrivals numbered more than any July in history, boosting year-to-date numbers by 60 per cent compared to last year. There were 796,000 foreign visitors in Bali in the first seven months of this year, just short of the 2002 figure. The September 9 suicide attack outside the Australian embassy in Jakarta that killed nine people, all Indonesian, triggered upgraded travel advice against Indonesia amid warnings of further attacks by extremist group Jemaah Islamiah. But cancellations have not been as numerous as feared. Foreign arrivals into Bali remain strong, and Indonesian Tourism Minister I Gede Ardika has expressed confidence the country will meet its 2004 target of 5.1 million tourists nationwide. For the Hong Kong Football Club, which lost nine players in the Bali blasts, it was the impetus for withdrawing from an annual international rugby tournament in Bali next month. 'Our club was heavily involved last time and it was pretty devastating,' player-coach Rod Macintosh said. 'The club wasn't prepared to take that sort of risk again.' Australian Louise Bassett, 33, who cancelled a holiday to Bali scheduled for November 2002 due to security fears, said she was keeping a booking for November. 'I think people are getting more used to terrorism unfortunately,' she said. 'It's at the back of your mind and I would not go to known Aussie haunts or join large crowds, but I don't think anywhere is safe - look at Madrid - and you have to decide if you will live in fear and let the terrorists win, or take precautions but still enjoy great locations.' Some businesses in Bali are breathing a sigh of relief. 'At first I was a bit worried [the embassy] bombing would hurt Bali, but the early signs are good,' said Hans Meier, general manager of The Legian hotel. Chrissie Lincoln, marketing manager of The Villas hotel and spa, said the blast had caused 'minimal cancellations' and bookings remain 30 to 40 per cent above last year's figures.
