Sincerely Bali

Sincerity. One of the defining characteristics of Bali and the Balinese people. Sure, everybody has something to sell and everybody's trying to survive somehow. But I can say with conviction that Balinese people are generally sincere. Maybe I'm naive to think as such, but I tend to see the good in people. Sincerity is a trait that you can experience everywhere you go in Bali.

I had an epiphany when thinking about Bali, its tourism, and the way it markets itself. I came up with the slogan "Sincerely Bali" because I think it embodies what Bali and the Balinese people are all about. The idea certainly needs redefining, but I wanted to document it here first.

I think Bali is also sincere in a way that it doesn't try to hide its flaws to visitors. As visitors enter Bali, they get to experience first hand the good, the bad, and the ugly of Bali and its growing pains. We don't hide the fact that we're still developing and that our infrastructure needs attention. We don't hide the fact that our growth is so organic that it lacks certain benefits of carefully planned and forward-looking economies. There's some degree of sugar-coating, but for the most part Bali is what you sense and experience for yourself.

At the end of the day, Bali i truly what it presents itself to be. And we shouldn't try to present it otherwise when marketing to potential visitors and investors. As I look around other slogans like "Wonderful Indonesia" or "Remarkable India", I think Bali needs a buzzword that embodies the spirit of the island and its people. I would suggest "Sincerely Bali."