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Magnitude 5.8 quake strikes south of Bali on Monday evening Hundreds of foreign nationals leave Bali amid coronavirus outbreak Hundreds of foreign nationals leave Bali amid coronavirus outbreak

Hundreds of foreigners departed Bali over the weekend, Hundreds of foreigners departed Bali over the weekend, An earthquake of magnitude 5.8 hit the Indonesian resort island of Bali on Monday evening, according to the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG). some with chartered fights organized by their respective governments, following fight cancelations across the globe amid the COVID-19 outbreak. The Ngurah Rai Immigration some with chartered fights organized by their respective governments, following fight cancelations across the globe amid the C ID-19 outbreak. The Ngurah Rai Immigration offce said in a statement that over 200 foreigners, offce said in a statement that over 200 foreigners, consisting mostly of German nationals, boarded a chartered consisting mostly of erman nationals, boarded a chartered German Airlines fight on Saturday headed for Frankfurt, erman Airlines fight on Saturday headed for Frankfurt, while over 400 passengers consisting of mostly French while over 00 passengers consisting of mostly French nationals headed to France with Qatar Airways on the same nationals headed to France with atar Airways on the same day. In addition, Austrian Airlines also reportedly carried day. In addition, Austrian Airlines also reportedly carried over 200 passengers back to Austria. over 200 passengers back to Austria. Foreign missions in Foreign missions in Indonesia have Indonesia have actively used social actively used social media to assist their media to assist their The quake, which hit at 15:36 WIB (West Indonesia Standard Time), was centered 74 kilometers southeast of South Kuta, Bali, at a depth of 124 kilometers, the agency stated. respective citizens. As fewer fights become available respective citizens. As fewer fights become available due to global travel due to global travel The BMKG reported that the tremors were also felt in East Java restrictions, their restrictions, their and West Nusa Tenggara. efforts include efforts include The tremors were felt by people at Modifed Mercalli Intensity (MMI) scale IV in Mataram, West Lombok, Central Lombok, Badung, Denpasar, and Klungkung; at MMI scale III in Buleleng, Karangasem, Gianyar, North Lombok , East Lombok Sumbawa assisting those seeking to return home to fnd available fights. I Putu Surya Dharma, a spokesperson from the regional offce for the Ministry of Law and Human Rights, told Nusa Bali yesterday that between March 1 and 26, assisting those seeking to return home to fnd available fights. I Putu Surya Dharma, a spokesperson from the regional offce for the Ministry of Law and Human Rights, told Nusa Bali yesterday that between March 1 and 26, and West Sumbawa, Bima, Tabanan, and Dompu; and at MMI nearly 254,000 foreign tourists have left the island. However, nearly 25 ,000 foreign tourists have left the island. However, scale II in Jember. the same period also recorded over 169,000 foreign tourists the same period also recorded over 169,000 foreign tourists An earthquake of MMI II could be felt by some people and resulted in the hung light articles shaking, while an earthquake of arriving in Bali, he added. Travelers from Australia, Russia and the United States topped the list of visitors. arriving in Bali, he added. Travelers from Australia, Russia and the United States topped the list of visitors. MMI III could be felt indoors akin to the movement of a truck, and an earthquake of MMI IV could be felt by several people Last week, American and Australian citizens in Indonesia were Last week, American and Australian citizens in Indonesia were within and outside houses, with the windows or doors creaking ordered to leave the country amid the novel coronavirus ordered to leave the country amid the novel coronavirus and audible wall sounds. outbreak, wherein offcials also cited evidence of Indonesia’s outbreak, wherein offcials also cited evidence of Indonesia’s Mercalli scale is one of the units to assess the strength of an earthquake, especially in the absence of a seismometer at the site. current medical capacity, among other things, to urge immediate action. Some foreigners have decided to extend their stay in Indonesia, it seems, as evident by packed immigration offces across Bali last week. Indonesia’s current medical capacity, among other things, to urge immediate action. Some foreigners have decided to extend their stay in Indonesia, it seems, as evident by packed immigration offces across Bali last week. Indonesia’s No immediate reports were received of any material damage, Directorate General of Immigration has swiftly responded to Directorate eneral of Immigration has swiftly responded to injuries, or fatalities. the spike in visa extension requests, and eligible foreigners the spike in visa extension re uests, and eligible foreigners unable to return to their home countries due to COVID-19 unable to return to their home countries due to C ID-19 are being given an automatic extension for their stay are being given an automatic extension for their stay permits. (coconuts.com 01/04/2020) permits. (coconuts.com 01 0 2020)

Indonesia sits on the geographically active “Pacifc Ring of Fire” and holds some 40 percent of the world’s geothermal reserves. The Ring of Fire, or the Circum-Pacifc belt, is the world’s greatest earthquake belt, according to Live Science, owing to fault lines running from Chile to Japan and Southeast Asia. No Large-Scale Social Restrictions policy for Bali just yet, provincial government says Hundreds of Indonesian crew members fying in from Italy skip quarantine after testing negative for COVID-19 Bali Governor Meets With Chinese Ambassador To Discuss Future Of Tourism Bali’s Governor Wayan Koster received an honorary visit from the Chinese Ambassador to ASEAN Countries, HE Deng Xijun. Governor Koster met with Ambassador Xijun on the afternoon The Bali provincial government says it has yet to consider imposing Large-Scale Social Restrictions (PSBB) policy, which requires approval from the central government, to curb the spread of COVID-19 here, claiming that it has already implemented similar steps to an extent. ver 300 Indonesian crew members from the MSC Splendida cruise ship reportedly did not undergo uarantine upon arrival at Ngurah Rai International Airport despite having fown in from enoa, Italy on Monday night. ffcials said all of them tested negative for the novel coronavirus, after rapid tests that were conducted at the airport. of Friday 19th August, the meeting was a resounding success; the pair discussed the future of tourism, education, and the upcoming G20 Summit that is being held in Bali in November. Governor Koster opened the meeting with his thanks to Ambassador Xijun, and dived straight into business. He explained in detail the reopening of Bali for tourism and the ongoing handling of the Covid-9 pandemic. With much delight, he confrmed to Ambassador Xijun that Bali is safe for international Speaking to Kumparan yesterday, regional secretary of the Bali administration, Dewa Made Indra, said that the provincial “As soon as they arrived they were checked by offcers from the Port Health Authority and followed with rapid tests. The results were negative and [they] didn’t have to be uarantined,” Ida Bagus Ngurah Arda, who heads Bali province’s Manpower Agency, told Kompas yesterday. There were 316 Indonesian crew members in total who boarded a fight with atar Airlines from enoa to Denpasar, via Doha. tourists. Governor Koster explained ‘We will wait for the return of tourists from China, which before the pandemic was one of the countries from which most tourists came to Bali. I beg the Honorable Ambassador to encourage the Chinese government to allow their citizens to Bali’. government is open to implementing PSBB, should risks of the novel coronavirus on the island continue to escalate and require a stricter approach. “Here in Bali we are already enforcing strict limitations. Substantially we have preceded this PSBB policy, but formally and according to the [new] government regulation of course we haven’t,” Indra said. As reported by Kompas, the crew members had also undergone a health examination while in enoa, after which they were declared healthy In pre-pandemic years, Bali welcomed up to 1.2 million tourists from China every year. Governor Koster went on to say ‘If this can be realized, it will certainly have a big impact on the recovery of tourism and the Balinese economy’. While tourists from Australia, Singapore, and the UK have been the most PSBB is designed to limit mobility within a region,essentially imposing the same social distancing measures that have already been seen in parts of Indonesia affected by the viral disease, though this includes additional measures and stricter enforcement. and permitted to return to Indonesia. Italy is one of the countries hardest hit by the coronavirus pandemic, with over 105,000 confrmed cases and more than 12,000 deaths. Indonesians coming from C ID-19 hot zones, which includes Italy, are subject frequent visitors to Bali in the post-lockdown holiday season, to health screening by the Port Health Authority upon tourism from China is yet to bounce back. The policy includes shuttering of all businesses and services arrival. Should authorities fnd that they are exhibiting except those deemed essential, and also banning appearly symptoms of C ID-19, they will be observed at a Although Australian tourists have been the focus of the Bali based motorcycle taxis from picking up passengers, meangovernment facility for two weeks. n the other hand, tourism sector for decades, there has been an increasing efing they are only allowed to transport goods and deliver those who do not exhibit early symptoms are advised to fort to encourage tourism from China to Bali. This is largely food to customers. self- uarantine for the same period. due to economic reasons and to help diversify the tourism sector. There is also a political element to the encouragement, The offcial implementation requires regional governments Yesterday, Coordinating Human Development and Culture where Indonesia is striving to strengthen political ties with to submit relevant data and reports regarding COVID-19 Minister Muhadjir ffendy urged Indonesians overseas to China; one way to do this is through the development of tourspread in their area to the Health Ministry, among other stay in the countries in which they are living. The government ism. things, which will assess them and decide on whether or not said there are no plans to arrange their repatriation, but that to grant approval. The process has been criticized for being they will be provided with supplies. Indonesia is currently Bali’s leader bought his side of the discussion to a close by overly bureaucratic. anticipating mass arrivals of Indonesians abroad, particularly sharing his hopes for the future of the Bali-China relationship. those seeking to leave Malaysia as it enforces its movement He was excited about the development of two world-class university campuses in Bali, one of which is being developed by the Chinese Tsinghua University. Indonesia’s capital Jakarta, which has the highest number of confrmed COVID-19 cases, is set to become the country’s frst region to offcially enforce PSBB. As of this afternoon, the city reports 1,395 confrmed cases of the control order (MC ), as well as crew members of international cruise ships looking to return home as some cruise lines halt their operations. For the latter, their return will likely be through Ngurah Rai, Muhadjir said, adding that there are The meeting ended with Governor Koster gifting Ambassador coronavirus, including 133 deaths and 69 recoveries. about 11,000 Indonesian crew members abroad. As of Xijun a bottle of traditional Balinese arak (liquor) and Balinese coffee as a gesture of goodwill and promotion of Bali’s local products. Bali, for its part, has so far reported 43 confrmed COVID-19 cases, including 19 recoveries and two deaths of foreign nationals. (coconuts.com 07/04/2020) yesterday afternoon, Bali has recorded 19 positive C ID-19 cases. This includes two deaths of foreign nationals and four recoveries. (coconuts.com 01 0 2020)

JAKARTA - Indonesia will temporarily ban all visits and transits by foreign nationals to the country to curb the further spread of the coronavirus. “President (Joko) sees that our current policy needs to be made stricter. We have decided that all visits and transits by foreign nationals to Indonesia will temporarily be banned,” Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi told reporters after a virtual ministers’ meeting with President Joko Widodo on Tuesday (March 31). Exceptions to the ban include those with work permits as well as diplomats, Ms Retno added, stressing that proper health protocols will still apply. President Joko said before the ministers’ meeting that Indonesia is stepping up measures to limit mobility among its citizens within the country, but threats of coronavirus spread also come from overseas. Mr Joko pointed out specifcally that the epicentres of the pandemic have shifted to the United States and Europe. In Indonesia, Jakarta is the epicentre of the country’s coronavirus crisis, accounting for nearly half of the 1,414 confrmed cases. There are 122 deaths from Covid-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, in Indonesia so far, the highest in South-east Asia. Stay in the know with e-mail alerts. “Practically all nations have put in place limits on the fow of travellers with varying (degree of) strictness depending on the respective situation and condition in each country,” Ms Retno said. Their policies have also impacted Indonesians living overseas, many of whom have recently returned home or are preparing to head home. According to Ms Retno, the two largest groups of homebound Indonesians are Indonesian migrant workers from Malaysia as well as Indonesians working as crews on cruise ships. “The infow traffc from these two groups has been far larger than normal,” Ms Retno said. “In terms of size, the number of Indonesians living and working in Malaysia exceeds 1 million. And there are

Kuta hotel room, thought to be online gambling HQ, deserted ahead of police raid

Police came up empty when they raided a hotel room in Kuta suspected to be the operational hub of an online gambling ring on Saturday. The raid took place at 8pm on Saturday at a hotel on Kartika Plaza Road.

11,838 Indonesian crews working for 80 cruise ships, as per data gathered so far,” Ms Retno added. She said the government is implementing proper health protocols at airports, seaports, border check points on these returning countrymen. Mr Joko on Monday said Indonesia needs stronger measures to limit mobility after receiving reports that thousands of workers in Jakarta and its surrounding areas have returned to their home towns after losing most or all of their income amid the coronavirus outbreak. There have been concerns of a spread of infections as people from Jakarta, the epicentre of the country’s outbreak, return home. The government is preparing regulations that would make it possible for Jakarta and other coronavirus red zones to be put under an “area quarantine”, a term observers see as equivalent to a lockdown, which would stop fows of people going in and out. (straitstimes.com 01/04/2020) Local authorities in Bali are reporting hundreds of workers having lost their jobs due to the COVID-19 outbreak and its subsequent impacts on the tourism industry, while thousands more have been instructed to stay at home without pay. In Denpasar, as many as 2,975 workers were told to stay at home without pay while another 53 workers were laid off, the city’s spokesman Gede Rai told Kompas, adding that the workers were from 37 different companies. “It’s because there is a lack of guests and hotels are not operating,” Gede Rai said. For the time being, authorities in Denpasar are reportedly planning a social protection strategy for these workers, including through Indonesian government’s pre-employment cards, which was launched last month. The cards, which aim to aid job seekers and unemployed workers, grant them access and funding to various trainings. The numbers are even higher in Badung regency, where some of the island’s most popular hotels and restaurants are located. An offcial from the regency’s Industry and Manpower Agency told Tribun yesterday that 198 workers have been laid off as of April 4, most of whom were employed in the tourism sector.

Bali plans to hold Nyepi-like observance to curb COVID-19 spread

Bali province’s Majelis Desa Adat, or traditional village council, says there are plans to hold a Nyepi-like observance later this month as part of an effort to curb the spread of COVID-19 on the island, with the fnal decision set to be announced tomorrow. The council’s chief, Ida Panglingsir Agung Putra Sukahet, told Tribun yesterday that nothing has been decided for the time being, as authorities would need to hold a meeting frst. “We will decide on April 8. If it’s going to happen we will issue an offcial circular from the traditional village council,” Agung Putra was quoted as saying. The observance, locally referred to as sipeng, will only mandate that people stay at home for three consecutive days and will not follow the exact same rules as the Balinese Day of Silence, according to reports. Ordinarily, Nyepi encourages self-refection by prohibiting activities such as lighting a fre, working, and traveling or going out, among others. The planned sipeng, however, would only prohibit people from leaving their homes. While offcial details have not been announced, news of sipeng quickly made its rounds on social media, showcasing divided opinions among local residents. Prompted by concerns over COVID-19, som e are supportive of the initiative, while others question how people are expected to meet their daily needs should the observance take place. “I agree, but it’s

Thousands of workers in Bali on unpaid leave, hundreds more laid off

“Everywhere [in Indonesia] is pretty much facing the same condition. We don’t know when this will end,” Ida Bagus Oka Dirga, who heads the agency, said. He added that in Badung, more than 6,000 workers from 78 companies have been instructed to stay at home and given between 50 to 70 percent of their minimum salary. “Right now, with the hotels empty, of course workers will burden the operational cost. That’s why they have instructed them to stay home. However, we do hope they won’t be laying off [these workers],” I Made Badra, who heads the Tourism Agency in Badung, told Tribun.

Bali hotels roll out cheap promos or shut to survive coronavirus outbreak

The Bali Hotel Association (BHA), whose members include general managers of over 100 four-star and fve-star hotels and resorts in Bali, said that most accommodations and restaurants in Bali have opted to temporarily close for at least one month. “At this time, almost all hotels and restaurants in Bali are closed temporarily for one to two months, as we monitor the most up to date situation,” BHA chairman I Made Ricky Darmika Putra told state news agency Antara yesterday. Ricky also responded to circulating information that many hotels in Bali are up for sale, clarifying that those reports are false. In addition, he explained how hotels that are still open have less than 10 percent occupancy rates, while most restaurants have cut their operational hours short. Meanwhile, some other hotels are still seeking to attract potential customers, and are rolling out cheap promotions on long-term stays. One example is Lv8, a hotel located in Canggu, which offers a one-month stay fee starting from IDR8million (US$481). For perspective, the hotel’s normal daily rate ranges from IDR800K-1 million. (coconuts.com 07/04/2020)

JAKARTA - Indonesia will temporarily ban all visits and transits by foreign nationals to the country to curb the further spread of the coronavirus. “President (Joko) sees that our current policy needs to be made stricter. We have decided that all visits and transits by foreign nationals to Indonesia will temporarily be banned,” Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi told reporters after a virtual ministers’ meeting with President Joko Widodo on Tuesday (March 31). xceptions to the ban include those with work permits as well as diplomats, Ms Retno added, stressing that proper health protocols will still apply. President Joko said before the ministers’ meeting that Indonesia is stepping up measures to limit mobility among its citizens within the country, but threats of coronavirus spread also come from overseas. Mr Joko pointed out specifcally that the epicentres of the pandemic have shifted to the United States and urope. In Indonesia, Jakarta is the epicentre of the country’s coronavirus crisis, accounting for nearly half of the 1, 1 confrmed cases. There are 122 deaths from Covid-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, in Indonesia so far, the highest in South-east Asia. Stay in the know with e-mail alerts. “Practically all nations have put in place limits on the fow of travellers with varying (degree of) strictness depending on the respective situation and condition in each country,” Ms Retno said. Their policies have also impacted Indonesians living overseas, many of whom have recently returned home or are preparing to head home. According to Ms Retno, the two largest groups of homebound Indonesians are Indonesian migrant workers from Malaysia as well as Indonesians working as crews on cruise ships. “The infow traffc from these two groups has been far larger than normal,” Ms Retno said. “In terms of size, the number of Indonesians living and working in Malaysia exceeds 1 million. And there are 11, 3 Indonesian crews working for 0 cruise ships, as per data gathered so far,” Ms Retno added. She said the government is implementing proper health protocols at airports, seaports, border check points on these returning countrymen. Mr Joko on Monday said Indonesia needs stronger measures to limit mobility after receiving reports that thousands of workers in Jakarta and its surrounding areas have returned to their home towns after losing most or all of their income amid the coronavirus outbreak. There have been concerns of a spread of infections as people important to inform the general public way ahead of the actual dates. So it doesn’t seem so abrupt.” “So will there be provision of food from the government?” “Those who have plenty of money from monthly salary have it good as they can simply stock up, but what can we do when we depend on daily income. If it were to happen for four days please think it further wisely.” As of yesterday afternoon, Bali confrmed eight additional cases of COVID-19, bringing the island’s total to 43. This includes 19 recoveries and two deaths of foreign nationals. (Coconuts.com 07/04/2020)

from Jakarta, the epicentre of the country’s outbreak, return home. The government is preparing regulations that would make it possible for Jakarta and other coronavirus red zones to be put under an “area uarantine”, a term observers see as e uivalent to a lockdown, which would stop fows of people going in and out. Coordinating maritime affairs and investment minister Luhut Pandjaitan said in a video message on Tuesday that the government would take the decision within this week, stressing however Indonesia would use the term lockdown. Indonesia would also issue a presidential emergency decree that would allow the government to have an annual budget defcit of larger than 3 per cent – currently not allowed by the existing laws – so that it could spend more to deploy cash, especially to the poorest population in the country. This exemption would apply for three years, before a normal threshold of 3 per cent would be reinstalled for 2023 annual budget year. “(Finance Minister) Sri Mulyani is currently making her calculation. What if we give the bottom 0 per cent or 20 per cent direct cash handouts. It is being thoroughly calculated,” Mr Luhut said. President Joko said on Monday that over the past eight days alone, 76 buses had transported about 1 ,000 people in reater Jakarta back to their home towns, mostly in West Java, Central Java, Yogyakarta and ast Java provinces. thers had taken the trains and ships home, he added. These are mostly daily-rated workers such as push-cart food sellers, in what is termed the informal sector of the economy. (straitstimes.com 01 0 2020)

Bali’s The Nusa Dua improves safety measures amid pandemic

State-owned enterprise Indonesia Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC) is implementing safety measures to help stop the spread of C ID-19 at tourist destination The Nusa Dua in Bali. I usti Ngurah Ardita, managing director of The Nusa Dua, told Antara news agency that a letter had been sent to tenants, urging them to provide hand sanitizers and regularly spray disinfectant in public areas, including toilets, pray rooms, ATM booths and shuttle buses. “This is in accordance with a circular letter from Bali’s provincial administration on improving hygiene and sanitation to combat the virus,” he said. Tenants at The Nusa Dua are also re uired to check the temperature of all staff and visitors and to routinely clean their sites. A crisis center has been set up for guests, with services that include delivery to the nearest hospital and routine check-ups with health agencies. Ardita added that The Nusa Dua’s employees have been working from home from March 16, except for security and cleaning staff, who have been e uipped with protective gear and follow physical distancing measures while on duty. As of March 26, the occupancy rate at The Nusa Dua had dropped 30. 5 percent since February. “We hope the pandemic will end soon and tourism in Bali can improve,” said Ardita. n Tuesday, Bali declared a state of emergency by imposing stricter measures on visitors in an effort to curb the spread of C ID-19 as cases continue to climb with local transmission detected. With the status, the resort island will tighten checks at entrance gates and enforce a 1 -day self- uarantine for all people entering the island. (thejakartapost.com 01 0 2020)

Denpasar mayor urges city residents to stay at home amid coronavirus outbreak

The Mayor of Denpasar yesterday urged the city’s residents to refrain from returning to their hometowns and stay at home instead, as part of an effort to curb the spread of C ID-19 in Bali. “I am asking all residents living in Denpasar for the time being do not go anywhere, including to go to your hometown, stay at your respective homes [instead] to break the chain on C ID-19 spread,” , as uoted by state news agency Antara. Many of those who live in Denpasar hail from different parts of the island and even the country. With the social and physical distancing advisory in place and the option to return to their family homes might make sense fnancially, offcials fear it might contribute to further spread of C ID-19. According to Denpasar government’s, there are currently 96 people under monitoring in the city, along with two patients under observation and two more who have tested positive for the novel coronavirus. Across Bali, the total number of positive C ID-19 cases stand at 10 as of yesterday afternoon, including two deaths of foreign nationals, while a total of 141 patients have been placed under observation, as per data from the provincial government.

Bali has been named the happiest tourist destination in the world. In a survey conducted by the French hotel operator Club Med, Bali came top as the best place in the world for a happy holiday. The news has been gratefully received by Indonesia’s Minister for Tourism and Creative Industries Sandiaga Uno. Minister Uno, speaking at a press conference this week, shared that he too always has a happy time when he is in Bali. The survey ranked top tourism destinations on many factors. This included crime rate, level of security and overall safety, pollution levels, and the cost of food and drinks. Bali came out tops largely due to the low crime rate, friendly and hospitable local people, and the affordability of accommodation, food, and drinks. Participants in the survey also noted how the health and wellness industry in Bali was a big draw for them, and that access to wellness experiences also made traveling in Bali an overall more happy experience. Of course, participants also expressed their delight at Bali’s natural wonders and unique culture. The culinary heritage of Bali was another big plus point for making Bali the happiest tourist destination in the world. Minister Uno told the press during his panel at Kura-Kura in Serangan on Thursday afternoon, that this news makes sense to him, how Bali and happiness are synonymous for him. He said ‘Bali makes me very happy. I just landed and it’s only been three hours and I feel so happy. So, if you want to heal, fx your feelings, and refresh yourself that doesn’t make you dizzy, just come to Bali’. He echoed the survey’s sentiments that Bali is safe and comfortable and that he hoped that this would continue for tourists in the future. He explained ‘We make sure that issues that disturb the positive narrative and reputation of Bali, we will immediately address. My team and I continue to monitor every issue that comes out and relates to Bali. That is what makes us work even harder because Bali remains the choice for tourism. that makes us happy’. The Club Med survey ranked Bali as the happiest tourist destination in the world closely followed by Las Vegas in second “ ur success in breaking the chain of coronavirus spread re uires discipline and cooperation from everyone, not only the government, but also the public in heeding the instructions and suggestions from offcials,” Rai Mantra said. Last week, a nurse who tested positive for C ID-19 reportedly went home to Tabanan regency, prompting offcials to trace her close contacts immediately.

place. New Orleans came in third with Barcelona and Amsterdam ranking fourth and ffth respectively. The top ten happiest tourist destinations were completed with Budapest, Vancouver, San Francisco, Dubai, and Rio de Janeiro. Bali is no stranger to featuring highly on lists of the best tourist destinations in the world. In July Ubud was voted the best city in Asia by Travel + Leisure magazine. The 2022 winners also listed the top fve best hotel resorts in Indonesia, four of which are in Bali. Much like the Club Med survey, the Travel + Leisure winning destinations were ranked on their sights and landmarks, their cultural offerings, cuisine, openness, and friendliness, as well as shopping opportunities and overall value for money. Regularly featuring on best destination lists does wonders for Bali’s public image. It is hoped that positive press, big international events, increased tourism, and efforts to diversify tourism experiences in Bali will ensure that the Island of the Gods remains one of the world’s leading tourism destination for many more years to come. Denpasar Police Chief Bambang Yugo Pamungkas, who led the raid, said that the perpetrators had fed, and offcers instead found abandoned devices in the room, including four computers, seven wi-f routers and four smartphones, along with SIM cards. It is presumed that plans of the raid had leaked, giving the perpetrators time to escape the Kuta hotel. “From the evidence we have gathered, this hotel room was used as an online gambling site,” Bambang explained. “The perpetrator booked the room for quite some time, raising suspicions which was then alerted to [the police]” Bambang added. Police are questioning hotel management and staff as they seek more leads to capture the gambling ring. The devices found in the deserted room have been confscated as evidence. Gambling is illegal in Indonesia. In June, Bali police arrested an Australian national and his two Indonesian assistants for running a horse race betting event at a Seminyak pub.

omodo National ark price hike postponed until f cial oconuts

In a move that some might say not is not really surprising (remember the Borobudur temple saga?), the proposed price hike for Komodo National Park will be postponed until next year amid brouhaha surrounding the police. East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) provincial government’s Tourism Agency Chief Zeth Sony Libing told reporters yesterday that the proposed entry fee of IDR3.75 million (US$250) – which would be for an annual pass – originally scheduled to come into effect on Aug. 1 has been postponed until Jan. 1 next year. “The NTT provincial government is giving a dispensation of fve months, [in other words] the old prices to enter Komodo Island and Padar Island are still in effect,” he said. Komodo Island and Padar Island are the two biggest islands of Komodo National Park. Another site famous for its dragons in the park is Rinca Island. The park also includes 26 smaller islands. For the time being, Sony said, domestic travelers can still pay IDR75,000 (about US$5) per person to enter Komodo Island and Padar Island, while international travelers are required to pay double that amount. Sony explained that President Joko Widodo himself suggested the postponement, while the agency also took in advice from various fgures in NTT’s West Manggarai Regency. Separately, Tourism and Creative Economy Minister Sandiaga Uno said in his weekly press briefng yesterday that the government will keep on working on a solution to simultaneously ensure that economic recovery and conservation of the dragons could go hand in hand. As previously reported, amid ongoing protests from local guides and tourism associations following an entry fee hike for the two main islands of Komodo National Park, the House of Representatives (DPR) asked the central government to reconsider the plan. Last week, Dede Yusuf, the deputy chair of DPR’s Commission X overseeing tourism affairs, said parliament was never consulted about the new price policy, which covers the islands of Komodo and Padar. An op-ed featured on The Conversation strongly criticized Komodo National Park’s management, highlighting the park’s business-oriented tourism, minimum conservation measures, and neglect of locals who depend on community-based tourism, after their previous main sources of income, agriculture, was set aside in favor of the growing tourism industry.