Surge in Singapore demand for Sol Melia Resorts in Bali

More than 1,400 room nights have been booked at Sol Meliá Hotels & Resorts properties in Bali by travellers from Singapore, following the success of an attractive flight promotion offered in conjunction with Singapore Airlines to aid in the recovery of Bali's tourism industry.

Meliá Bali Villas & Spa Resort - a 510-room property on the Nusa Dua beachfront - has so far received bookings of over 1,000 room nights from the SIA promotion, whilst Meliá Benoa All-Inclusive Resort - a 127-room property on the coast of Tanjong Benoa - has received bookings of over 400 room nights. Both hotels expect the number of bookings to increase even further, as more packages are being sold to consumers.

The SIA free-and-easy package to Bali, priced at S$298 per person for the five-star hotel option, includes return economy class ticket, twin-share accommodation at either Meliá Bali Villas & Spa Resort or Meliá Benoa All-Inclusive Resort as well as airport transfers. It is valid for bookings made by 3 December 2002 and for travel out of Singapore by 24 January 2003.

Commenting on the success of the promotion, Mr Ricardo Castaneda, General Manager of Meliá Bali Villas & Spa Resort, said: "We are delighted with this response and are confident that our Singapore guests will be the perfect ambassadors of Bali when they share their positive holiday experiences with their friends, and play their part in reassuring potential visitors that this island remains safe and tranquil."

Mr Ang Beng Siong, SIA's Branch Manager in Bali, said: "Singapore Airlines is committed to assist in the recovery of Bali's tourism industry. The first launch of the promotion in Singapore is part of our joint efforts with the Indonesian authorities and the Bali tourism industry to restore visitor confidence and put Bali back on the tourist map. A key element in this programme is the specially priced packages that we plan to roll out progressively over the next few weeks to all countries in the SIA network. We appreciate the cooperation of the hotels in Bali in making this initiative possible, and hope that this will mark the start of the recovery of Bali's tourism industry."

Sol Meliá Hotels & Resorts is the leading hotel group in Spain in both the city and resort hotel markets, the leading chain in Latin America and the Caribbean, the third largest hotel group in Europe and the tenth largest worldwide. The company is also the world's largest resort hotel chain.