Bali: Looking Forward to Massive Growth in MICE Infrastructure

In the previous blog of this series, we discussed what makes Bali a dominant player in the international MICE market and how it offers endless possibilities as a MICE destination. As an ideal MICE destination, the city has attracted several international and regional events. This increase in MICE demand over the past few years has led to infrastructural growth and developments in the city. In this part of the blog series, we’ll talk about the upcoming infrastructural evolutions in Bali that will change the face of MICE market in the city. Addition of New Properties  As announced by Indonesia’s Ministry of Tourism, 2018 is the year of world-class meetings, colourful festivals, and several other events, including the Bali Spirit Festival (April), Ubud Writer Festival (October), Nusa Dua Fiesta (October), Festival Buleleng (August), Festival Nusa Penida (December) and Festival Tenganan (June). The annual meeting of IMF and World Bank Group, scheduled in October this year, will attract around 12,000 to 15,000 visitors, including 3,500 delegates from 189-member countries, media representatives, observers, parliamentarians and other participants representing the private sector. To accommodate the rise in the number of MICE visitors, Bali plans to increase its hotel room supply. As per the Colliers Quarterly Q4 2017 Bali Hotel report, the city is expecting to receive 2,216 new rooms in 2018. This latest batch of sleeping rooms consists of 1,141 5-star hotel rooms, 1,319 4-star hotel rooms, and 100 3-star hotel rooms. Innovation in Hospitality Industry In order to expand its tourism market, Bali’s hotel industry has also stepped on the path of innovation. One such innovative concept is W’s Sound Suite by W Bali – Seminyak Hotel, introduced by Marriott International. This 229-room property features signature W designs and innovative touches. Targeting high-end guests, especially professional musicians, the W Sound Suite offers a fully-operational on-site recording studio, which allows professional musicians to record while traveling. The Sound Suite draws inspiration from how the famous rock band ‘The Doors’ recorded their fifth album ‘Morrison Hotel’ in a Los Angeles hotel. Other than Bali, this concept is now available at W Hollywood, Los Angeles. Northern Bali to Welcome a New International Airport With a busy event calendar and strong MICE pipeline in place, Bali is gearing up for some world-class events. Increase in the number of events will naturally result in an increasing foot traffic in the city. The year 2017 alone registered a total of 5.7 million foreign visitors, who entered through Ngurah Rai International Airport. To handle the additional passenger capacity and offer a smooth experience to international delegates, there is a need to upgrade the only international airport on Bali, Ngurah Rai International Airport or establish a completely new airport. A private company known as Bandara International Bali Utara (BIBU), has come up with a plan to construct a new international airport in the northern part of Bali. This new airport is expected to be constructed on an artificial island as it will not cause any severe impact on the local environment. However, an approval from the Indonesian transport ministry is still awaited. THINC Indonesia Organized by the THINC Conferences Private Limited, Tourism, Hotel Investment & Networking Conference (THINC) Indonesia is a conference dedicated to tourism and hospitality industry. Bali has hosted this renowned conference for four years successfully. The 6th edition of this conference will be organized in Jakarta on 5th & 6th of September 2018. This year THINC will be covering the most relevant subject matter, key issues and latest industry trends that shape and transform the future of hospitality businesses in Indonesia. This conference will bring together the decision-makers in the tourism and hospitality industry with an interest in Indonesia. With the special focus thrown at Indonesian market, the conference would highly benefit Bali’s MICE business market, opening doors for better opportunities. In 2017, this conference was attended by about 180 industry stakeholders, business leaders, and key decision-makers from across 14 nations. Some of the prominent speakers from the 2017 THINC conference include, Chairul Tanjung, Chairman, CT Corp; John Flood, President & CEO, Archipelago International; Michael Issenberg, Chairman & CEO - APAC, AccorHotels; Nicholas Clayton, CEO, Capella Hotel Group Asia; Olivier Chavy, President & CEO, Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts; Rajeev Menon, COO - APAC, Marriott International; and Steven Pan, Chairman, Regent Hotels Group. MICE Health of Bali Since Joko Widodo became the seventh president in 2014, Indonesia has seen an increase in its infrastructure development budget. As per an estimation, Indonesia needs up to USD $450 billion in infrastructure development investment up to 2019. To meet the desired budget requirements, the country is also welcoming private sector investors. The Indonesian government is significantly working to build all required infrastructure across the country, with a special focus on expanding Bali’s infrastructure to deliver exceptional events. The increased infrastructure development budget, combined with massive MICE pipeline is indicative of Bali’s healthy MICE market.