West Australian shares boom with Bali

With Western Australia's cashed-up fly-in, fly-out workers, sea changers and retirees driving demand, Bali’s economy and tourism is booming nowadays.

Not seen since before the terrorist bombings in 2002, according to hotel and resort operators, there are new restaurants and resorts opening almost daily that will cater to the ever growing appetite of the thousands of tourists that come to Bali for luxury accommodation and world-class dining.

It is believed that there are five properties from international hotel group Starwood that are in the pipeline. These include the new Sheraton Hotel in Kuta, a high-end Westin Hotel resort in Ubud and one of its premium brand Luxury Collections resorts in Jimbaran.

Having just celebrated its first year of business in March, W Hotel in Seminyak, one of Starwood's luxury hotels and resorts, is said to have been sold out for most of the past 12 months.

Hotel executive Marcus Willson commented that the current direct flights to Denpasar from most of Australia's capital cities and in particular, the nine flights a day from Perth, having had the biggest impact on the island, have contributed to unprecedented growth in Bali’s economic and tourism boom.

Mr. Willson explained that, "it's a combination of people".

Those flights equate to 40,000-50,000 passengers a month, including surfers and adventurers as well as other tourists who not only stay on the many hotels and resorts in Seminyak but also in the array of Seminyak Bali villas.

According to Mr. Willson, “a lot of Australians are doing the sea change thing, the fly-in, fly-out crowd are increasingly hopping on a plane for Bali on their leave rotation and there's a strong West Australian contingent buying holiday homes on the island.”

Successful Bali hotel consultant in Perth Michael Burchett, formerly a Conrad Hotel executive, said that WA visitors are considerably impacting Bali’s economic and tourism boom.

Gone were the days when you had to buy a package holiday, like those that are offered in Seminyak villas, to come to Bali, Mr. Burchett added.

Now, with increased flights, cheaper fares and the strong Australian dollar have all contributed in creating a massive influx of tourists and lifestylers.

Mr. Burchett also stated, "Security concerns after the 2002 bombings have largely gone away, too. People are very relaxed coming here now."

And with this massive influx of tourists, they usually stay in the many hotels, resorts and villas that are spread throughout Bali like the villas in Seminyak Bali.