DENPASAR, BALI - A public forum organized by the Bali Tourism Board on Tuesday, April 22, 2014 to discuss service and conditions at Bali’s Ngurah Rai International Airport brought a shower of strong criticism from stakeholders in the Island’s tourism industry concerned with the many complaints about the airport received form the traveling public. The meeting, attended also by representatives of the airport authority PT Angkasa Pura I, raised a number of concerns, including: • Leaking roofs inside the terminals. • The recent increase in the international passenger service charge to Rp. 200,000 and plans to soon increase the domestic passenger service charge to Rp. 75,000. • The inferior overall quality of facilities and services at Bali’s airport as compared to competing destinations in the region such as Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and Bangkok. • The oftentimes brusque speech and offhand manner of security personnel at the airport, who need to be tutored in passengers relations skills. • Long delays and lines at immigration counters, both during the embarkation and disembarkation process, despite 24 total counters now in place. • The high cost of “fast immigration service” now sold to speed customers through the arrival process. • The overuse of the airport’s public address system instead of silent, screened announcements. • Poor quality and unclean public restrooms. • A lack of trolleys for luggage. • Poor money changer facilities. • Poor taxi service • The widespread presence of brochures from unlicensed and illegal travel operators and spas distributed at the airport. • The requirement to pay parking fees even when passengers are only being dropped off and no parking is involved. • The need for designated drop-off and pick-up zones. Representing Angkasa Pura at the forum was the general manager for Bali, I Gustu Ngurah Ardita. Ardits told the forum that he is listening to all complaints and feedback, pledging to take remedial steps to make the airport operate properly. Quoted in the Bali Daily (The Jakarta Post), the chairman of the Indonesia Tourism Association (GIPI), said: “The physical renovation of the airport’s buildings and facilities must be followed by improvements to its passenger services. Passengers must feel comfortable and safe when they arrive at an airport. This will reflect the condition of any destination, especially for Bali as an international tourist destination.”
Posted on: Tue, 29 Apr 2014 07:13:27 +0000
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