In Reply to: Garuda has a business to run, too posted by devastated on Friday, 1. November 2002 at 06:35 Bali Time:
You are absolutely correct in your assessment of Garuda's decision to take Adelaide off its list. Nobody realistically expects Garuda, or any other airline for that matter, to continue servicing a market that is financially unsustainable.
But, again, that is not the thrust of the original commentary. This isn't about whether Adelaideans can or cannot get to Bali or what it may or may not cost to do so. Additionally, it's definitely not a comment on whether the collective conscience of the airline industry warrants scrutiny or public condemnation. So I can't understand why you continue to emphasise this point as though it is the central issue. The Adelaide circumstance is merely an analogy that further underlines how far-reaching the effects of October 12 have been.
It's no secret that Bali's economic heartbeat is driven by tourism. Presumably you've been there so you would know this from your own observations. You don't have to look too far on this forum to read reports of hotels with 10% occupancy levels, empty cafes and near-idle service providers. You've only have to consider the number of hotels on Bali to understand the extent of its dependence on the airline industry.
The truth is that a place like Bali simply does not have enough alternative industries to cushion it against a severe downturn in tourism. For Bali, the effects of October 12 are dramatically immediate. Regrettably, the recovery phase is likely to be painfully long.