Indonesia‘s tourism economy is expected to receive a
multi-billion-dollar boost when the Bali International Hospital fully
opens next year.
Government health officials believe the 600,000 Indonesians who
currently travel overseas each year for high quality health and wellness
treatments will instead opt to stay home and choose Bali for their
treatments.
“We estimate that we lose US$8 billion to US$10 billion in economic
value through the exodus of health travellers to places like Singapore,
Japan and the United States,” said Mira Dyan Wahyuni, president director
of the state-owned Indonesia Healthcare Corporation.
The Bali International Hospital (BIH), which is being developed on
the Bali Beach golf course at the northern end of Sanur, will enjoy
special economic zone status, allowing the acquisition of the world’s
finest medical equipment, technology and professional staff.
BIH will also work closely with the Mayo Clinic in the US.
Dr Mira, who was speaking at the Bali & Beyond Travel Fair 2023,
said the hospital’s executive team also plans to work closely with the
travel trade to promote Bali as a medical tourism destination, and
support the island’s strategy to move away from mass tourism and appeal
to luxury travellers.
I Putu Winastra, head of the Association of the Indonesian Tours and
Travel Agencies in Bali, said it was essential that the direction Bali
is taking must have all tourism stakeholders onboard to ensure the
benefits were shared between travellers, local communities and the
travel trade.
As part of the ‘Clean up Bali’ campaign, the island’s governor Wayan
Koster recently announced that all activities on Bali’s mountains would
be banned with immediate effect, a move that has angered communities
close to the mountains who rely on tourists for their livelihood.
In response, the provincial government says it will re-employ private guides as mountain rangers.