Who are we?
The Little Bali Hotel & Resort Company (LBHRC) is an independent, self-funded marketing body created to represent the interests of a number of Bali-based hotels and tour operators and in the process help create a positive profile for the destination in Australia, traditionally Bali’s biggest source of international visitors.
The organisation was created and launched in November 2006, its chief design to re-ignite interest in Bali and reinstate the destination in its rightful place as one of Australia’s top overseas travel destinations.
The Little Bali Hotel & Resort Company is the brainchild of Australian-based freelance travel writer and surfer Mike Parker-Brown who, following a seven-year stint as PR Manager for Garuda Indonesia in Australia, fell head over heels in love with Bali, the Balinese people and their wonderful culture.
What are we trying to achieve
Simply put, the creation and aim of LBHRC is to reignite interest in Bali and reinstate the destination in place as one of Australia’s top overseas destinations for the leisure market, special interest groups, first and business class travellers, the MICE market, seniors, families and the romantic wedding/honeymoon market.
Current situation
The Bali travel market from Australia still, potentially, represents the destination’s biggest source market and revenue but continues to suffer and little has been done – both from a government and private sector perspective – to readdress the situation.
There is currently much talk of Indonesian government and Australian private sector funding being combined with Australian travel industry support and know-how to help rekindle interest in the destination,
But while much of the talk revolves around consumer driven initiatives managed by combined airline, wholesaler, retailer and large hotel chain involvement, little has been done for the smaller operators, the people responsible for Bali’s ‘bread and butter’ business.
LBHRC has been specifically created to address that situation and as a result, help to get Bali and its tourism infrastructure back on track again in these markets.
And so far, so good – since launching our concept in November 2006, Australian business to Bali has increased by 70 per cent and 2008 is already shaping up strongly.
Our Vision
Our vision has always been to bring a small, like-minded group of Bali hoteliers and tour operators together via a cooperative sharing of funds and resources.
All stand to benefit greatly from powerful, message and product-driven sales and marketing resources.
The LBHRC Team
The LBHRC team in Australia consists of Mike Parker-Brown and Paul Cutler.
LBHRC is represented in Bali by Katrina Simorangkir, the founder of Bali Weddings International who acts as a locally based consultant.
Mike Parker Brown
is a Sydney-based travel writer and PR practitioner who manages his own PR/marketing consultancy.
Mike’s industry experience includes a stint as a staff writer with Traveltrade magazine.
Mike first travelled to Bali in 1987 when he took on PR management on behalf of the Indonesian national carrier Garuda Indonesia, Garuda Orient Holidays and the Indonesian Tourist Promotion Office.
Mike left Garuda Indonesia after seven years to join the Hong Kong Tourist Association as PR Manager in the lead-up to the 1997 ‘hand over’.
His efforts on behalf of the HKTA earned him the prestigious Australian Society of Travel Writers’ ‘Communicator of the Year Award’ in 1997.
Mike left travel and aviation in 1999 to work as a senior media adviser with the Australian Trade Commission where he managed the PR component for several key portfolios including the Federal Government’s Olympic Business Strategy ‘Business Club Australia’.
Mike returned to travel in 2003 as an account director/creative writer for a Sydney-based boutique PR agency handling several blue chip travel industry accounts.
Since March 2003 Mike has worked independently as both a freelance public relations consultant and freelance specialist industry writer.
His current activity also includes providing media advice, strategies and the creation of written material for several companies, predominantly SMEs, in the travel and business sectors.
Mike founded LBHRC in November, 2006.
Paul Cutler is a well-known Sydney-based Pacific-Asia marketing specialist who now manages all sales and marketing activity on behalf of the LBHRC.
His regional experience includes a National Sales Manager role with DriveAway Holidays and senior sales roles with the Shangri-La Hotel Group and Le Meridien Hotels & Resorts.
Paul set up his own marketing company, CTM Resorts, in 2001 with a focus on Asia-Pacific hotel and tour company representation.
Katrina Simorangkir is highly respected on both the Australian and Balinese travel industry scene.
Acting in a senior consulting role, her activity in the main is intended to help LBHRC grow its already extensive Bali membership base.
Her vast experience includes stints with Bali Travel Service and Garuda Indonesia in Darwin prior to taking on a senior role with Bali specialist wholesaler Garuda Orient Holidays where she rose to the position of Manager Australia.
While with GOH she played a major part in helping to set up the wholesaler’s New Zealand, US and Bali operations before leaving the company to launch the Bali Weddings International concept in 1992.
Bali Weddings International has since evolved to become one of the destination’s best known wedding event operators and is an acknowledged catalyst for Bali’s thriving romantic travel business.
The company’s activity now extends beyond Australia and New Zealand to encompass Asia, the UK and Ireland, continental Europe and the US.
Ms Simorangkir was one of the first Bali-based operators to throw her support behind LBHRC when the company first launched in November 2006.
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