Trump, Disney And The Floating Bali Airport

This has been a truly strange tourism news cycle in Bali. Perhaps Reince Priebus has a job in Jakarta, if things go pear shaped in Washington DC.

First up is the report about a second Bali airport being confirmed on the North end of the Island of the Gods. This is fine and dandy as unlocking Bali’s tourism market out of the Southern portion of the isle is truly an important long-term goal.

Yet the Indonesian government is saying the new airport will be on a reclaimed floating island, with an area of 1,400 hectares. More reports are saying the Buleleng area is being touted as the likely location.

There is rampant speculation over the term “floating” is this is simply poor wording and it’s a straight forward reclamation project or else is the facility meant to be actually mobile? It’s most likely the former versus the latter.

Meanwhile another government source is saying that Disney in the US has confirmed interest in a 100-hectares location for a Disneyland theme park in Boyolali in Central Java. For those not familiar with Indonesian geography, this is somewhat near to the cultural area of Yogyakarta.

It’s unclear who will be funding either of these two mega projects or else is the government on a fishing expedition to get media coverage. Needless to say land speculators are rushing to both areas with cash in hand to buy land.

But the hardest one to understand, and is a project that is actually moving ahead is the Trump branded project at Tanah Lot in Bali, where the Pan Pacific Nirvana hotel will be leveled. Here will rise the Trump brand at an ultra luxury resort and residence project.

Truth is seemingly stranger than fiction in the world of tourism and hotels.