How To Combat Low Tourism

mugwump

On a recent trip to civilization in Bali in my periodic quest for the sundries of existence learned of one business attempt to overcome the imbalance in lost revenue resulting from a lack of tourists? It is a very simple solution. You just raise the prices and make up the difference in lost revenue by soaking those foolish enough to remain. Admittedly prices on some things have escalated due to certain scarcities. This includes ginger root, garlic and Bombay onion, but how far does it go? Here is some of my price check. Increase in broccoli about 40%, oatmeal about 20%, tomatoes about 50%. And the real biggie......Bombay onions for 2 less than medium size the current price was over 45k rp. This same super market (I felt) was quite competitive in the past, and these price hikes occurred in the last 12 days, and doesn't reflect the price of other items that aren't purchased frequently and whose regular price remains unknown. On the chance that naming names is taboo, won't divulge, but my overnight stays for these forays is in Sanur. There is no doubt that the items named could have been purchased on my home turf, but for the sake of convenience included them together with much of the other goodies. Sure it didn't break me, but felt that this kind of rip off shouldn't be ignored among the expat community. It's the exploitation that shouldn't be overlooked.

Markit

Bombay onions come from China as does some of the garlic sold here. On the flip side products that used to be sent to China are now much cheaper and available in kilos - for instance Mangis fruits and Lobsters (from 450k to 150k/kilo). Some of the other things you list are simply more expensive because they naturally fluctuate seasonally - tomatoes go from IDR3k/kilo in "summer" to now in the rainy season when they are awful to around 15k - most of them are rotten on the vine, ditto broccoli.

mugwump

Well your explanation helps as I really didn't want to trade elsewhere, but still scratching my head about the justification for the recent percentage of increase.

spicyayam

Isn't it just supply and demand? I am sure profiteering goes on. I was watching CNN last night, the airlines are all offering discount tickets, but as flights were being stopped from Europe to US, they were putting prices up for the last few flights out.

JohnnyCool

Yeah, sorry SamD. It was [I]the Knack[/I]!

SamD

JohnnyCool wrote Yeah, sorry SamD. It was [I]the Knack[/I]!

Another one-hit wonder of the last millenium. There were plenty of them. Cheers.

JohnnyCool

spicyayam wrote Isn't it just supply and demand?

I don't see it that way these days. More like supply and demand [B][I]plus[/I][/B] virus.

There have been only three declared pandemics since 1918 (Spanish Flu). Late 1920s (the great Depression) and now this one.

[B]CORRECTION:[/B] I forgot about Swine Flu in 2009, the first pandemic this century. Sorry. Whatever happened with the first two can't be compared to what's happening now. The world population is now much bigger than then. Global travel was much less. Smartphones, internet, etc, weren't there then. Currently, of the 195 countries in the world, 114 are affected. One of my concerns is what would happen if/when, say, the whole of Indonesia is placed into lock-down? Including Bali? Not a pleasant scenario. Even now, (potential medical impacts aside), business worldwide is being affected. Supply chains, airlines, tourism/hospitality, stock markets, banking, schools, sporting events, insurance companies, and all the rest. In Bali, many hotels, restaurants, bars, tour companies are already feeling the pinch. "Medical impacts": Hospital readiness, drug supplies, availability of testing kits that work, competent staff to cope with panicked people... You get the idea. On a lighter note, my wife's been asking me lately what [B]if[/B] Bali is locked down? Umm. Think of it like an extended Nyepi but we can still have the lights on, cook food, read books, use the internet, play loud music. Finally, who here remembers the song My Sharona (Kinks)? There are now multiple parody versions of it on YouTube, called My Corona. I haven't seen them all but [I]maybe[/I] the version by Papa Bakes is one of the better ones (so far). :)

SamD

JohnnyCool wrote I don't see it that way these days. More like supply and demand [B][I]plus[/I][/B] virus. There have been only three declared pandemics since 1918 (Spanish Flu). Late 1920s (the great Depression) and now this one. Whatever happened with the first two can't be compared to what's happening now. The world population is now much bigger than then. Global travel was much less. Smartphones, internet, etc, weren't there then. Currently, of the 195 countries in the world, 114 are affected. One of my concerns is what would happen if/when, say, the whole of Indonesia is placed into lock-down? Including Bali? Not a pleasant scenario. Even now, (potential medical impacts aside), business worldwide is being affected. Supply chains, airlines, tourism/hospitality, stock markets, banking, schools, sporting events, insurance companies, and all the rest. In Bali, many hotels, restaurants, bars, tour companies are already feeling the pinch. "Medical impacts": Hospital readiness, drug supplies, availability of testing kits that work, competent staff to cope with panicked people... You get the idea. On a lighter note, my wife's been asking me lately what [B]if[/B] Bali is locked down? Umm. Think of it like an extended Nyepi but we can still have the lights on, cook food, read books, use the internet, play loud music. Finally, who here remembers the song My Sharona (Kinks)? There are now multiple parody versions of it on YouTube, called My Corona. I haven't seen them all but [I]maybe[/I] the version by Papa Bakes is one of the better ones (so far). :)

Pretty sure it wasn't The Kinks but can't be bothered Googling it. It is now playing in my head. Thanks for that! Ray Davies of The Kinks penned one of my favourite lyrics of all time "I'm not the world's most passionate man but I know what I am and I'm glad I'm a man, and so's Lola". Brilliant.

Nydave

I don't know anything about farming but it seems strange to me that a country with 17.000 islands is importing vegetables,

Markit

Nydave wrote I don't know anything about farming but it seems strange to me that a country with 17.000 islands is importing vegetables,

Have you tried growing anything here? There are so many bugs, worms and other nasty shit you basically have to douche everything in poison to give it have half a chance to grow. Up the mountains they have more luck but not sure what they have to bathe everything in. I always wash the shit out of everything I buy. Rice and water spinach grow well but only because they are semi aquatic.