Security to be improved in hotels, villas in Bali

Bali Governor Made Mangku Pastika has strongly urged managements and owners of hotels, villas and tourist accommodation in Bali, to strictly impose security measures to protect their guests during the current peak holiday season, media reported here on Monday. "Hotels, villas and other tourist establishments must not rely for their security on support from the police and the army," the governor said. Hotels must improve their security measures and equipment to adopt international standard security schemes. "Bali has always been in the international spotlight and is a soft target for terrorist attacks. Therefore, we have to be ready to anticipate any security problems," he was quoted by the Jakarta Post as saying. Tjok Oka Artha Ardana Sukawati, chairman of the Bali chapter of the Association of Indonesian Hotels and Restaurants (PHRI), said that the tourism and hotel industry in Bali already planned to implement the new security measures. In mid-October, Sukawati said, PHRI had signed agreements with the Bali Police and PT Sucofindo to improve security systems and management in hotels and restaurants across the island. The chairman of PHRI admitted that security systems in the majority of hotels and tourist establishments in Bali still adhered to regulations issued in 2004. "We understand that the forms of security disturbances have been changing and become more sophisticated in their operations," said Sukawati. Over 200000 foreign tourist come to Bali every month, according to the national statistic bureau.