Paradiso Magazine, November 2013 Edition by Paradiso

Vol. VIII No. 11, 2013

Jakarta Marathon 2013

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Vol. VIII No. 11, 2013

Jakarta Marathon ,

Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) as the organization of world athletics. The world marathon runners are also interested in JakMar 2013 total prize of U.S. $ 218,000 or equivalent to Rp 2.5 billion. Sapta said that journalists from various media in Indonesia and abroad highlight Jakarta particularly related to tourism attraction as well as the excellence and uniqueness of the city, including along the route passed by runners of JakMar 2013. “A successful implementation of Jakarta Marathon requires community participation such as welcoming race participants at the starting line and finish to encourage and show love of the people to Jakarta, “Sapta said. Will be held in 2014 Jakarta Provincial Government and the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy, and the Ministry of Youth and Sports have ensured that Jakarta Marathon is going to be held again in 2014. It is considering that the implementation of Jakarta Marathon 2013 was a remarkable success. Joko Widodo said that the scale of the event will be bigger next year. He promises in terms of number of participants, Jakarta Marathon will be followed by more participants. “I think it can continue to be a regular event every year. We make it bigger next year, “said Jokowi. Jokowi explained, the Jakarta Marathon 2013 will be evaluated and the evaluation result will be used as material for the implementation of International-class sport in Jakarta. “As a promotion, getting to know Jakarta through sport is great, “said Jokowi. Kenya and Ethiopia Won Jakarta Marathon 2013 would be a wonderful memory for Chebor William (Kenya) and Mulu Seboka Seyfu (Ethiopia). Both became the first winner of the men’s and women’s marathon category. Chebor covered the distance in 2 hours 14 minutes 30 seconds, while Mulu in 2 hours 42 minutes 57 seconds. “I’ve never thought that I could win. There are many competitive male runners in the race, “said Chebor. Chebor’s time in Jakarta is among the lowest since 2010. Previously, Chebor ever recorded time of 2 hours 12 minutes 34 seconds when he became the second winner in Jeonju Marathon 2013. The best Achievement of Kenya’s best runner was when he became the second winner of the Torino Marathon in 2011 with a time of 2 hours 8 minutes 21 seconds. The high level of air humidity is mentioned by Chebor as the main aspect that affected his performance. It forced the 31 -year-old runner drinking water more frequently than other marathon he had ever attended. Chebor claimed to enjoy Jakarta Marathon. First, the flat tracks made him easily manage breath. Second is the friendliness of the residents of Jakarta. Lastly, it is because he gets the prize of U.S. $ 40,000 (Rp 440 million). ( bowo )

photo by tri wibowo

Jakarta Marathon 2013 winners list : Men’s Marathon 1 . Chebor William , Kenya , 2 hours 14 minutes 30 seconds (U.S. $ 40,000) 2 . Stephen Tum , Kenya , 2 hours 15 minutes 35 seconds (U.S. $ 20,000) 3 . Kipkemoi Chelimo , Kenya , 2 hours 17 minutes 6 seconds (U.S. $ 12,000) Women’s Marathon 1 . Mulu Seboka Seyfu , Ethiopia , 2 hours 42 minutes 57 seconds (U.S. $ 40,000) 2 . Diana Sigei , Kenya , 2 hours 43 minutes 39 seconds (U.S. $ 20,000) 3 . Too Mercy Jelimo , Kenya , 2 hours 44 minutes 18 seconds (U.S. $ 12,000) Men’s Half -Marathon 1 . Bernard Muthoni , Kenya , 1 hour 7 minutes 26 seconds (U.S. $ 3,000) 2 . Maregu James , Kenya , 1 hour 10 minutes 37 seconds (U.S. $ 2,000) 3 . Kipsang Charles Kipkorir , Kenya , 1 hour 14 minutes 12 seconds of (U.S. $ 1,000) Women’s half- marathon 1 . Gladys , Kenya , 1 hour 15 minutes 29 seconds (U.S. $ 3,000) 2 . Jepkoech Peninah , Kenya , 1 hour 15 minutes 40 seconds (U.S. $ 2,000) 3 . Ann Njihia , Kenya , 1 hour 18 minutes 27 seconds (U.S. $ 1,000)

photo by tri wibowo

total of 10 thousand participants including runners from 50 countries and the world ‘s elite runners participated in international marathon race Jakarta Marathon (JakMar) 2013 that took the start and finish at the National Monument (Monas), Jakarta, on Sunday morning ( 10/27/2013 ). Registered participants who took full marathon category were as many as 1,096 participants. 1,600 participants joined half marathon, 10 K and 5 K, respectively 3,396 and 3,654 participants, and maratoonz (children sprint) as many as 250 participants. The race, which was followed by 50 countries, has a total prize of Rp 2.5 billion. Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy Mari Elka Pangestu, Minister of Youth and Sports Roy Suryo, Jakarta Governor Joko Widodo (Jokowi), Deputy Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy Sapta Nirwandar with Marketing Director of Kemenparekraf Esthy Reko Astuti, and PB PASI management, ASO, Inspiro, IAAF and AIMS also participated enthusiastically in this race. Mari Elka Pangestu said that JakMar 2013 aims to portray Jakarta as a destination for world sports tourism and raise the image of Jakarta as a world-class city. “We hope Jakarta Marathon will be like New York Marathon, Paris Marathon, and Berlin Marathon that are already known worldwide, “said Mari Pangestu. Jakarta as a tourism destination has different types of tourist attraction in the form of natural and man-made that if it is managed optimally and sustainably will be one of the sectors that drive the regional economy. Jakarta Governor Joko Widodo said the event had a positive impact for the city of Jakarta. It could popularize Jakarta culture in international level. Therefore, the city government of Jakarta involved in preparing the festival and other interesting events in order to bring joy to participants and visitors. “Combining marathon with the festival is a good cultural strategy for the city,” said Jokowi. Meanwhile Deputy Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy Sapta Nirwandar who is also Chairman of JakMar 2013 stated that one of the targets of JakMar 2013 is bringing a lot of foreign tourists to Indonesia, especially to Jakarta to be better known abroad. “Sport tourism is quite effective to help boosting foreign tourist visits, which is by August 2013 has increased 8.28 % compared to last year or as many as 5,643,271 foreign tourists, “he said. Sapta who is also the initiator of JakMar added that since registration of JakMar 2013 was officially opened in the Sport & Running Marathon Expo Paris, France on 4 April 2013, a lot of runners from various countries including the elite runners of the world such as those from the UK, Kenya, Ethiopia, Japan, Australia and France are ready to take part in JakMar 2013 that has been certified grade A with the track elevation level of 0 m / km from the International

photo by tri wibowo

Effective for Tourism Promotion

Mari Elka Pangestu give prizes to race winners Jakarta Marathon 2013.

My Indonesia 175

Vol. VIII No. 11, 2013

www.paradiso.co.id EDITOR IN CHIEF

Igo Kleden igo@ultimoparadiso.com or info@paradiso.co.id

EDITOR

Tri Wibowo bowo@ultimoparadiso.com or bowo@paradiso.co.id

rEPORTER SALES & MARKETING MANAGER

Komang Wahyuni, Wiss Kedang, Dona Trihapsari Eka Elisa Dewi Antini

ACCOUNTING TRANSLATOR

Kadek Dewi

Distributor

Donny Sakura

CONTRIBUTOR

Christovao Vinhas

Indira Sari Paputungan

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PT. Travindo Jaya Jl. Batas Dukuh Sari Gg Curik no. 11 Denpasar - Bali - Indonesia 80222 Phone : 0361 - 8959507 Fax: +62 361 8474102 Hp. 081338306900 w up : 081238711251 email : info@ultimoparadiso.com or info@paradiso.co.id Bank Account : 097001023164531 Bank BRI Cab. Sesetan - Denpasar

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ali Provincial Government will provide insurance policy to every foreign tourist visiting the island. Thus, foreign tourists are directly covered by insurance when they experience illness, accident or death during their visit in Bali. “Currently, the regulations are still being discussed and entering its final phase. We are targeting to finish it this year, “said Bali Governor I Made Mangku Pastika, in Denpasar, on Friday (25/10/2013). He stated that to get the policy, there is certain nominal that should be paid by every foreign tourist who enters through ports and airports to Bali. The nominal paid has included contributions to the protection of cultural heritage and environment of Bali. “It means that the amount paid does not fully go into government, but most are given back to tourists if they have an accident, illness or even death. When a foreign tourist died, sometimes we have difficulty to bring the deceased back to his/her country, “he said. According to him, foreign tourists usually have already had insurance. “However, the insurance is taken in their home countries, which often cause difficulty to claim when they experience accident or illness abroad. The insurance provided by provincial government can cover medical treatment during their visit in Bali, “he said. In relation to the contribution of foreign tourists to the protection of cultural heritage, the former Bali police chief said that similar concept has been implemented in other countries. “If we ask for contributions through a visa on arrival (VoA), it is not easy as well, because they have to change the law so that we plan to take that step and in terms of the aspect of the law is possible, “he said. Bali government will create a new agency after the contribution to the protection of cultural heritage implemented by empowering Pakraman village and The Indonesian Hindu Association (Parisada Hindu Dharma Indonesia). ( * )

Air France Interested in Opening Jakarta – Paris Route

The new route will complement the schedule offered by KLM, which serves departure to Jakarta every day from Amsterdam via Kuala Lumpur. It is the right decision to make Jakarta as the new route of Air France considering the strategy that focuses on high potential areas in Southeast Asia. “We are delighted to offer our customers services direct flights from Jakarta via Singapore to Paris. We believe that for Indonesian people, Paris is an attractive destination, not only for tourists but also for business travelers, “said Duncan Rutgers, Country Manager Air France KLM Indonesia in a written statement. Air France KLM operates a network of long-distance flights with departure from Europe. In 2012, Air France KLM carried 77.4 million passengers and 1.4 million tons of cargo. This group consists of 573 aircrafts with

ir France announced that the airlines is going to launch the flight from Jakarta to Paris per March 30, 2014. With one stop in Singapore, this route will serve passengers using Boeing 777-300 with a capacity of 303 seats. On both the outbound and inbound flights, Air France offers evening departure, so that passengers can rest during the trip. AF259 departs from Jakarta at 08:10 pm and arrives in Singapore at 11:00 pm local time. The plane departs from Singapore at 12:40 am local time, and arrives in Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport at 07:50 am local time the next day. AF254 departs from Paris - Charles de Gaulle Airport at 07:55 pm local time, and arrives in Singapore at 02:50 pm local time the next day. The plane departs from Singapore at 04:30 pm and arrives in Jakarta at 05:20 pm.

a network of 243 destinations in 103 countries from its headquarters in the Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport and Amsterdam - Schiphol Airport. Its frequent flyer program Flying Blue is the leader in Europe and has over 12 million members. With their partners Delta and Alitalia, Air France and KLM operate the biggest joint company Transatlantic with more than 250 daily flights. Air France and KLM are members of the SkyTeam alliance, which has 19 airlines members, offering customers access to a global network of more than 15,500 daily flights to 1,000 destinations in 187 destination countries. Currently, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines offers daily flights from Jakarta and Denpasar in the afternoon. The flights are from Jakarta to Amsterdam via Kuala Lumpur and Denpasar via Singapore to Amsterdam. ( * )

South Sumatra Preparing Musi Triboatton 2013

cess to the market area and investment opportunities. Musi Triboatton 2013 starts from Tanjung Raya, Hall of Empat Lawang Regency, which is about 300 kilometers (4-5 hourdrive) from Palembang the capital city of South Sumatra. Participants sail along four regencies and one municipality, namely Empat Lawang regency, Musi Rawas, Musi Banyuasin, Banyuasin and Palembang. The finish point is on the Ampera Bridge, Musi river in Palembang city center. Regulation applied refers to the international rowing and white water rafting competition, which are tailored to situation and condition of the Musi Triboatton. Each team consists of 12 athletes and 3 officials and should have the capacity representing the team in three types of races: River Boat / Rafting : The boat should be driven by 6 representatives of each team excluding the skipper, who is provided

outh Sumatra is now preparing to welcome an international event Musi Triboatton 2013 that will be held on 16 to 22 November 2013. Musi Triboatton organized by Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy and the Government of South Sumatra is a cruising and sightseeing activities around the river as far as 500 kilometers, with a background of international rowing event combined with natural and cultural attractions around the Musi River in South Sumatra. Triboatton defined as three types of boat that will be used in the race in Musi River Boat. The boats include inflatable boat, kayak and the Dragon Boat or Traditional Boat Race (TBR). Besides the three types of boats, there will be a mother boat - a passenger boat - commonly used by the local community and serves as a base camp as well as a means of mobility of participants on sites possibly explored by the boat. The mother boat is equipped with bedding, toilets and cooking equipment. The International Musi Triboatton aims to improve natural and cultural tourism activities through the rowing race that takes place in river in South Sumatra province. The event is expected to become an international annual event. It also aims to develop cross- sector developmental activities, which are expected to spur the development of infrastructure and improvement of welfare of the local community to a better level and open acphoto by spc

Bali Provincial Government to Provide Insurance for Foreign Tourists

by the committee. The assessment uses Down River Race system, which is a rowing race following the river flow. It is rated based on speed and mileage of each team or within a certain distance. Kayak: a rubber boat that should be driven by two representatives of each team. The race uses Down River Race Assessment system. Dragon Boat: is a traditional boat made of fiberglass which must be driven by a team consists of 11 people including the drummer, excluding the skipper that is provided by the committee. Each individual winner will receive a Medal, certificate, and cash prizes totaling RP 300 million with the category of Team Champion (1st, 2nd and 3rd position) for the team with the highest score in all race categories and Stage winners (1st, 2nd and 3rd position) for teams with the highest scores from each stage of the entire rowing race. ( * )

My Indonesia

Vol. VIII No. 11, 2013

Lippo Karawaci’s Business Expansion to Eastern Indonesia

Chile to Invest on Wakatobi Tourism

first, namely in November 2013 and the international standard apartment will be priced below Rp 1 billion, “he said. He added that eastern Indonesia has been targeted by major developers as investment land since a few years ago. The region shows significant growth in the past few years. It can be seen through the economic activity that moves towards positive direction, which is mainly driven by the commodities business, agriculture, and trade. “Even in the first level cities, we can find full physical development, ranging from residential, hotels, shopping centers, offices and other commercial facilities with

Makassar as a growth magnet. The capital of South Sulawesi province is experiencing the most rapid transformation. Not surprisingly, Makassar is set as the gate and the main investment destinations for Eastern Indonesia, “he said. He explained further that the economic growth in Makassar according to the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) reached 8.5 % per year, which is far above the national economic growth that is 5.9 %. This indicates that the city has the potential to attract more investment, especially investment in property sector, such as housing, apartments, hotels, and shopping centers. (*)

Strengthen Flight Network of 4 ASEAN Countries

photo by spc

light network connecting Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines, especially in the eastern part of the ASEAN area, is strengthened. National carrier Express Air is one of the airlines that is ready to reoperate the route of Pontianak - Kuching (Malaysia) at the end of this October. Later, Malaysian airline MASwings is planning to serve the route of Kinabalu

(Malaysia) - Puerto Princessa (Philippines) on 26 November 2013 as well as the route of Kuching - Mulu (Malaysia) Bandar Seri Begawan (Brunei). Transportation Minister EE Mangindaan said that the expansion complements the existing routes, namely MASwings flights between Kinabalu (Malaysia) and Balikpapan which has started operating from February 1, 2013. “Also, the frequency of flights between Tawau (Malaysia) and Tarakan as well as Pontianak and Kuching has been increased from seven to ten times a week. Expansion of air service is a follow up of the implementation of the memorandum of understanding (MoU) on the expansion of water linkages, signed in 2007, “he said. He said further that he appreciates the continuous and sustainable flight operation of a few pioneer airlines to serve a

number of routes in the eastern part of the ASEAN development areas. The four ministers have also agreed on the provision of incentives in the form of landing fees and service rate calculation. In fact, airlines are required to explore the possibility to do co – terminalisation and codesharing agreement. “Inter-airlines cooperation is also encouraged to connect areas that have not been served by the national airline, “he said. Brunei Darussalam Minister of Communications Pehin Dato Abdullah Bakar added that expanding flight network is very important to ease air travel across countries in eastern ASEAN. “So far we are from Brunei have to go through Singapore and Jakarta to reach Banjarmasin. Later we hope to directly travel to Banjarmasin, “he said. ( * )

Mentawai to Offer 72 Surf Spots fects the tourists who come for tracking. Mentawai also offers 40 diving spots and 43 fishing points. Most popular location for divers is located on Setan Island (Batutongga Island) in North Sipora. “On Batutongga Island, there are quite a lot of coral reefs and fish pond; however, as the area that has many marine attractions, there are only 15 resorts available as accommodation facilities. Therefore, the local people also offer their houses as home-stay for tourists, “she said. She added that this year Disbudparpora Mentawai is targeting as many as 7,000 foreign tourist visits until the end of 2013. The figure is increased compared to 2012, which were only 6,000 people. Most of the photo by spc

entawai Islands regency, West Sumatra, which has sea area of 30,018.43 square kilometers offers 72 surf spots as main tourist destination on the islands. Head of Culture, Tourism, Youth and Sports Office Mentawai Islands, Desti Seminora in Padang said that the three waves in Mentawai are included in the top 10 best waves in the world. Now there are 72 surf spots spread in the waters of South Pagai, North Pagai, Siberut and Sipora. The best wave for surfing is Lance`s Righ wave in Katiet (South Sipora), Makaronis (north Pagai) and Siberut. “Although Mentawai is susceptible to disaster, but foreign tourists who have a special interest in surfing are not affected by this condition. 80 % of the total tourists visiting Mentawai are dominated by those who come for surfing, “she said. The remaining 20 % of the tourists visiting Mentawai are interested in cultural and natural attractions. Disaster only af-

photo by spc

roperty market that continues to grow making PT Lippo Karawaci Tbk is planning to do the groundbreaking of the biggest integrated area project in eastern Indonesia, The St. Moritz Makassar, in November this year. CEO of Lippo Karawaci, Ivan Setiawan Boediono in Jakarta said that the project is built on an area of 2.7 hectares and requires an investment of Rp 3.5 trillion and located in Panakukang. This investment will be the largest one in eastern Indonesia. “The integrated area, according to Ivan, consists of a mall, two tower apartments, a five star hotel, Siloam International Hospital, Pelita Harapan School and several other entertainment facilities. In addition, there are also a country club, private sky infinity pool, multifunction lounge, big screen cineplex, entertainment and F & B and helicopter services, “he said. He further explained that the development of the mall that covers an area of 200,000 square meters will be the first priority for it serves as the center of the integrated area. As for the development of other components, will be developed simultaneously after the construction of the mall. “The construction of the mall takes about 40 % -50 % or about Rp1.5 trillion of the total value of the investment. As for the apartment investment value almost reaches Rp1 trillion. Hotel development investments and hospitals spend around Rp 400 - Rp 500 billion, the rest is allocated on other facilities. For apartment development, the first tower will be marketed

tourists are coming for surfing. They come from Australia, the United States, Portugal and the UK. “I have also asked the police and the Department of Fisheries and Maritime of Mentawai, to stop the fish bombing activities in surfing spots. If this is allowed to continue, tourists will also be disturbed and feel uncomfortable, “she said. ( Ant )

hile is planning to invest in the field of hospitality and resort on the island of Hoga, Kaledupa District, Wakatobi, Southeast Sulawesi (Sultra). The investment is to support the attempt of the local Government to develop eco-tourism in Wakatobi regency. Wakatobi Regent, Hugua confirmed that the investment plan of Chile was delivered by the ambassador, Aloysius Lele Madja in Wakatobi on his working visit recently. “On Tuesday, Ambassador of Chile to Indonesia visited Hoga Island to see the conditions of the island for the possibility of setting up five-star resort and hotel there. Ambassador of Chile is very interested in the natural beauty of the island of Hoga and promised to bring investors from Chilee to build resorts and hotels on the island of Hoga, “said Hugua. According to Hugua, the working visit to Wakatobi is to follow-up an offer from Chile to promote marine tourism including Wakatobi culture in Chile. The offer is welcomed positively by the Government of Wakatobi regency. “For the sake of promotion of Wakatobi tourism and culture, a film producer from Chile, Sebastian has made a documentary film about the natural beauty of Wakatobi and various cultural traditions. Filming was done in a number of tourist attractions in the regency, “said Hugua. According Hugua, Ambassador Lele Madja has promised to direct a number of businessmen from the country to Indonesia, especially to invest in Wakatobi resort and hospitality field, including ecotourism. “Formerly, Chile was planning to make investment on the island of Bali. But after visiting Wakatobi region, the plan will be transferred to Wakatobi, “he said. Hugua said that there is a local investor on Hoga Island who builds five-star hotel and resort, namely PT Wakatobi Indonesia Resort (WIR). “Five-star hotel and resort built by PT WIR in Hoga Island is to support the efforts of the Government of Wakatobi in developing ecotourism in the area of Cagar Biosfir Bumi (Easrt Biosphere Conservation) and Wakatobi Marine National Park,” he said. According to Regent Hugua, in the Wakatobi waters there are about 40 dive spots that have beautiful coral reefs and rich biodiversity. Wakatobi water is not only habitat for 750 species of coral reefs and 942 species of fish; it is also a habitat for a variety of other marine species. “The water of Hoga Island is one of the best diving spots of the 40 diving points in Wakatobi waters. A number of hospitality companies, including investors from Chile, have already eyed the Hoga Island to build hospitality industry and resort, “he said. Four-star hotel and resort currently built by PT WIR, in accordance to Hugua, will begin operating before the end of 2013. Currently, the company is focusing on completing the construction of the four-star hotel. “The resort is designed in a form of cottages. According to the plan, before the end of this year, 30 cottages will start operating, “said Hugua. ( * )

Chinese to dominate tourist visit to Bali

he number of Chinese tourists traveled to Bali is increasing even more dominating. It is now ranked second after Australia and is able to precede the number of tourists from Japan. Chairman of the Parliament of China, Wu Bangguo, who came to Bali, confirmed the increase of Chinese tourists to Bali due to the long struggle of Indonesian and Chinese governments to improve bilateral relations. Chinese society, said Wu, know Bali as the Paradise Island. Emotional and cultural closeness of China and Bali is acknowledged to have important role in opening wider relationship with China. “Friendship between the two countries is getting closer in the fields of economics, politics, and culture so that the number of tourists from the two countries is increasing more and more, “said tourism observer in Bali, Dewa Nyoman Putra. According to Bali Tourism Office data, Chinese tourist arrival to Bali has the highest percentage of increase, which reached 28.60 percent following Taiwanese 26.33 percent. Foreign tourists who fly directly from their country to Bali, from January to September 2013, were as many as 2,409,334 people, with 302,324 of them from China. ( * )

My Indonesia 817 17

Vol. VIII No. 11, 2013

Indonesia - South Korea to Establish Creative Economic Cooperation

Etihad Airways to Add Abu Dhabi - Jakarta Flight Frequency

tion in promotions and events held in each country. Follow up of the MoU at the technical level and especially among the private sectors has also been discussed and in the near future is expected that there are more concrete action plan. “A more concrete plan on the cooperation with South Korea will be done through the exchange of information, capacity building, education and training, businessto-business cooperation, and participation in activities. As a follow up, a working group will be immediately formed to establish procedures, action plans, and activities that must be done to implement this agreement, “said Mari. In addition to South Korea, the Indonesian Government has MoU with the UK creative economy. The signing was done on November 1, 2012 during the working visit of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono. Economic contribution of the creative economy in Indonesia in 2012 reached Rp573. 9 billion, or about 8 % of the total GDP. Greatest contribution is performed by the culinary subsector with the value of Rp185. 4 trillion and followed by fashion and craft each for Rp164 .5 billion and Rp84.2 trillion. This sector also absorbs 11.9 million workers. Other subsectors, namely film, video, and photography, contributed additional value that rose from Rp 6.5 trillion in 2011 to Rp 7.4 billion in 2012. For music, in the period 2011 to 2012 the value rose from Rp 4.4 trillion to Rp 4.8 trillion. ( bowo )

Until 2014, the Swiss Belhotel International Manage 60 Properties

nternational-standard hotel management company Swiss Belhotel International strengthen its position in the competitive Indonesian hospitality market with the opening of 10 new hotels that are scheduled to open by the end of 2013 and 16 hotels to be opened in 2014. The largest Swiss - Belhotel International property is in Indonesia, where the Group has been named as “The Leading Global Hotel Chain” by Indonesian Tour and Tourism Awards for 3 consecutive years. Currently, it manages 34 hotels, which will soon be increased to 60 by the end of 2014. Swiss - Belhotel International Chairman and President Gavin M Faull said that Swiss - Belhotel International is very excited to strengthen its presence in Indonesia along with the existence of a company that has been running. “We are proud to be part of the growth

of the Indonesian economy for one of our principles is to establish partnerships with local employers. This is a win-win strategy and has become a continuous basis and will continue to be a driving force for the growth of Swiss - Belhotel International. Swiss - Belhotel International properties scheduled to open within the next 2 years show diversity ranging from 5-star hotels such as Ciputra World Surabaya with 212 rooms will be opened in April 2014 to the launching of budget hotel brand Zest Hotels and Zest Hotel Airport with 196 rooms at the end of 2014. Zest Hotels are designed to be a budget hotel brand in Asia, which will offer business and leisure travelers a different experience, “said Faull. Zest Hotels is the newest hotel brand owned by Swiss - Belhotel International that will offer the quality of a two-star hotel with a convenient location as well as focus on the mobile travelers market that

make a reservation through mobile devices and other devices. Zest International hotels will be opened in several locations in Indonesia until mid- 2015, including Jakarta, Yogyakarta, Batam, Manado, Bogor, Balikpapan, Surabaya, Bandung, Ambon, Lampung, Cirebon, Legian and Kuta - Bali. Currently Swiss - Belhotel International portfolio consists of 120 hotels and resorts ranging from two-star hotel brand up to 5-star hotel in Asia and the Middle East. Swiss - Belhotel International is also recently selected as a Top 100 hotel Group by HOTELS magazine. ( * )

High Speed Rail Will Present in Java

photo by spc

tihad Airways increases the frequency of the flight for Jakarta - Abu Dhabi route from seven days per week up to twice per day. President and Chief Executive Officer Etihad Airways James Hogan said in a press release that the addition of a new flight route that began on October 27, 2013 will increase the number of Boeing 777 - 300ER service between Jakarta and Abu Dhabi operated by Etihad Airways to double and add up to 20 flights weekly as indicated in cooperation with Garuda Indonesia. “There will be an additional 5,768 seats per week to daily service from Jakarta to Abu Dhabi route. The second addition of daily flight is further strengthens Etihad Airways position in the Indonesian market because tourists more options regarding flight departure time and enjoy a more frequent flight in Abu Dhabi to the main destinations in our global network, “he said. The extra capacity also shows the opportunity to utilize Indonesia’s aviation market that grows faster and to increase trade between Indonesia and the United Arab Emirates. “ Last year, the total bilateral trade between Indonesia and the UAE was worth US$ 3.3 billions, an increase of 32.32 % from 2011. Therefore, we saw a great opportunity to increase our stake in the travel business market and grow our cargo division, Etihad Cargo, “he said. Etihad Airways would to like to extend their gratitude to the Director General of Civil Aviation of Indonesia for the approval to add to the schedule of Etihad Airways daily flights and we believe that the addition of this capacity will benefit the United Arab Emirates and Indonesia. “The second addition of daily flight service is in line with the expansion of Etihad Airways in Indonesia. We entered the Indonesian market in 2006 with just four flights between Jakarta and Abu Dhabi each week, and since then we have extended our flight frequency to three times higher and strengthen our cooperation with Indonesian airlines, “he said. He explained that the cooperation with Garuda Indonesia adds six new flight schedules per week to Abu Dhabi - Jakarta and allows us to offer daily flights between Jakarta and Perth, Australia, and to five cities in Indonesia. ( * )

“We enthusiastically welcome this partnership because Indonesia has the advantages in terms of richness of cultural traditions that becomes the basis for the development of the creative economy. South Korea is more advanced in terms of digital content including movies, animation, and music. When the two aspects combined, it will produce more creative products that have additional value and competitiveness for both countries, “Mari said in a press release. According to Mari, South Korea is one of the references for Indonesia to advance the creative economy. At APEC 2013, which took place in Bali a few days ago, South Korean President in his speech even specifically said that the creative economy is the future of South Korea. The forming of the Indonesian Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy in 2011 was also considered as a step forward and a proof that President of the Republic of Indonesia has a strong vision to develop the creative economy. Mari added that this partnership is a strategic step to increase the competitiveness of Indonesian tourism and creative economy. In accordance with the MoU, the focus of development between the two countries is in the film industry, music, performances, games and animations, as well as digital content. Scope of cooperation includes exchange of information, capacity building, education and training, research and development, and facilitation of cooperation between the private sectors and participa-

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ndonesian government signed an MoU in the creative economy sector with South Korea. Signing of the MoU was done by Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy Mari Elka Pangestu and Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism of South Korea Yoo Jinryong. The two countries agreed in addition to improving relations between the two countries, the cooperation is also devoted to the development of human resources in the sector of the creative economy. South Korea under the leadership of President Park, Creative Economy to be one of the priorities for the future economy on the basis of synergies of innovation, technology and culture. This is confirmed by President Park at APEC CEO Business Summit in Bali on October 7 and at Korea Indonesia Business Forum on October 11 at the Grand Hyatt. Another important point that was agreed in this MOU is the recognition and protection of traditional knowledge and traditional cultural expressions (folklore). Indonesia and South Korea agree that the use of traditional knowledge and traditional cultural expressions particularly to the interests of industry and economic value addition will be dealt with specifically. Mari Pangestu said that the signing of this MoU is an important moment to advance the creative economy of both countries. Collaboration between the two countries which have their own respective advantages in the creative economy sector is believed to have a positive impact.

inister of Transportation, EE Mangindaan, said that he is currently reviewing high speed rail project that connects Jakarta - Surabaya and Jakarta - Bandung. He has been to

Tokyo to discuss the plan with investors. The project is planned to be built on land owned by PT Kereta Api Indonesia. By doing so, he hopes the construction process will not be disturbed by the process of land acquisition owned by residents. “With the operation of high speed rail, Jakarta Surabaya can be traveled in three hours with a short stop in Semarang, “said minister. He explained that this type of train can operate faster than conventional trains. It uses an integrated systems and special tracks. Mangindaan claimed that Japan is the first country that introduced high speed rail. He promised

that investors will visit Indonesia not later than the end of 2013. Once investors agreed on funding, the Ministry will soon prepare a feasibility study. Mangindaan imagined that the high speed rail infrastructure is built on top of a double track. The lines underneath are used for conventional mass transit rail and container. “There’s no problem dealing with land. The advantage is that Jakarta - Surabaya can be reached in only three hours, “he said. In addition to high- speed rail project, the Ministry continues to build doubletrack mass transit infrastructure in Surabaya and the middle lane of the Yogyakarta - Solo- Madiun - Surabaya. He makes sure that the auction of double track project will be completed by the end of 2013. ( * )

My Indonesia

Vol. VIII No. 11, 2013

Brunch Business Meeting with Singapore Investors T

he realization of tourism investment in Indonesia in 2012 has increased by 210 % from 2011; the value reached U.S. $ 869.8 million in total. The largest investment source is from the foreign investment. The table below will describe the growth of the realization of the tourism investment in the last 7 (seven) years. Most of the foreign investors in the tourism investment are from Singapore reaching the value of U.S. $ 538.177 million or 61.8 % from the total of the investment, this indicates the importance role of Singapore on the tourism investment in Indonesia. The Data indicates that the original source of the finance and the funding of the Singapore investor throughout the world concentrated in Singapore. Based on those data, the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy, Republic of Indonesia took an important role as a platinum sponsor on the Asia Pacific Tourism Destination Investment Conference (APTDI), 2013, in which the Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy has Become the keynote panelist addressing the issue of the public-private partnership. The Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy has arranged a Brunch Business Meeting, in collaboration with the Indonesian Embassy for Singapore, Indonesia Investment Coordinating Board, Indonesia Investment Promotion Centre and the Singapore Embassy for Indonesia, on October 23, 2013 at the Pan Pacific Hotel Singapore, accompanied by 5 (five) Indonesian tourism developers, which are PT. Bali Tourism Development Corporation, the developer of Mandalika Resort Lom-

YEAR

China to Build Chinese Cultural Center in Jakarta

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chained international hotels, the Intercontinental Hotels Group; business association, such as Indonesia - Singapore Business Association; the others investment networking consisting of various investors who are interested in investing on the tourism sector in Indonesia. We hope that throughout this Brunch Business Meeting, The Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy can spread the tourism investment prospects and attract more foreign investors to invest in Indonesia, in hope that it can develop the tourism sector beyond Bali island in Indonesia and increasing the realization of the tourism Investment. ( * )

bok; PT. Banten West Java, developer of Tanjung Lesung Resort; PT. Teluk Mekaki Indah, developer of Teluk Mekaki Resort, Lombok; PT Eco Solutions Lombok, developer of Tanjung Ringgit, Lombok; and PT. Bali Turtle Island Development, presenting the prospects of the Indonesian tourism investment. The meeting was attended by 5 (five) group of investors, which are property developer investors, such as the Far East Singapore, one of the largest property developer in Singapore; investors from transportation such as Marina Bay Serviced Residence; investors from hotels and resorts, such as Banyan Tree and the

Foreign Investment (US$ Million)

Domestic Investment (US$ Million)

TOTAL (US$ Million)

% GROWTH

2007

136.4

12.7

149.1

15.17%

2008

156.9

23.8

180.7

21.18%

2009

306.5

35.7

342.2

89.32%

2010

346.4

39.0

351.1

2.60%

2011

242.2

39.4

279.8

-20.31%

2012

786.3

101.5

869.8

210.86%

Q2 2013

96.90

22.33

119.23

Source: Indonesian Investment Coordinating Board , 2013

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APEC has a Long-Term Impact on Bali Tourism

xecutive Director of the Indonesian Hotel and Restaurant Association (PHRI) Bali, Ida Bagus Purwa Sidemen considered the successful and

smooth implementation of the APEC summit in 2013 will provide long-term impact on the development of tourism in Bali. “It takes great effort to host the APEC summit, and it can be implemented successfully. It is expected to bring trust to the good name of Bali and Indonesia, “said Purwa. He is optimistic in the future; there will be an increase in the number and quality of tourist arrivals to the island of Bali. Moreover, the construction of supporting infrastructure that is specially prepared for the APEC summit that includes the construction of the toll above the sea, underground road construction and expansion of Ngurah Rai International Airport, con-

sidered bringing a positive impact on access to public transport mobility including in the tourism sector. However, he considered the impact of the event has not been perceived thoroughly in the short term because it is more concentrated in the area of Nusa Dua. He stated that the occupancy rate of hotels in Kuta and Sanur for example during the APEC summit was not boosted significantly, which ranges from 60-70 percent. “In Nusa Dua, the room occupancy was above 90 percent, “he added. Not only the level of room occupancy, restaurants outside Nusa Dua area also did not experience an increase in terms of tourist visit during the economic meeting attended by 21 heads of state. ( * )

New Zealand and Indonesia Develop Nature Tourism

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ew Zealand Prime Minister John Philip Key considers cooperation with Indonesia as a must as the neighboring countries and it is best to focus on the tourism sector by developing nature tourism industry and the development of national parks. “ Maori language is similar to Indonesian language. Moreover, its natural beauty is not only just a force of attraction to New Zealand, but also to Indonesia. Nature potentials are the strength of many countries, including Indonesia and New Zealand, “said Prime Minister John Philip Key at Tri Hita Karana conference, tourism and sus-

tainable development in Nusa Dua, Bali some time ago. Key who is also former tourism minister said that New Zealand is pioneering the development of nature-based tourism, including establishing a national park to preserve and protect the spirit of environmental conservation. To encourage increased cooperation of nature tourism, Indonesia Embassy for Wellington in cooperation with the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy, Republic of Indonesia and Air New Zealand held a program “Family Trip” to Bali for journalists and travel agents in New Zealand on

25 September to 2 October 2013. “Family Trip participants consist of journalist, travel writer and owners of travel agency, “said Indonesian Embassy Ad Interim Charge d’Affaires for Wellington, PLE Priatna. In 2012 there were 13,800 New Zealand tourists traveled to Indonesia. It was an increase of 16 percent compared to the previous year’s 11,928 tourists. “ It’s the right moment for Garuda Indonesia or Air Asia to catch the opportunity to open a direct flight of Jakarta - Wellington or Denpasar - Welington, to boost tourism infrastructure in both countries, “he continued. ( * )

he arrival of China’s President Xi Jinping to Indonesia aims to make a number of commitments between the two countries, including the improvement of relations between citizens of both countries. The commitment includes the construction of the Chinese cultural center in Jakarta and a consulate -general in Bali and the provision of scholarships for 1000 Indonesian students. It was announced by Xi during a press conference with President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono at Istana Merdeka in Jakarta some time ago. “To promote the exchange of people between two countries, China is willing to set up a Chinese cultural center in Jakarta and open a consulate -general in Bali, “said Xi. In addition, continued Xi, in the next five years, China will provide Confucius scholarship for 1000 Indonesian students. Thus, both countries will hold youth exchange visits that involve hundreds of people. China is also willing to invite Indonesian Islamic Hajj to visit China in order to encourage the exchange of religious leaders. The two countries also signed a memorandum of understanding on tourism cooperation between the Ministry of tourism and Creative Economy of Indonesia and the National Tourism Administration of PRC, signed by Menparekraf Mari Elka Pangestu and China Minister of Foreign Affairs Wong Yi. ( * )

Sharia -based hotel is still Limited

he number of hotels in East Java that implements the concept of sharia -based services are still limited regardless the promising business potential offered by this type of hotel especially in Indonesia where most of the people are Muslim. Director of Grand Kalimas Hotel Surabaya, Wahyudin Hussein argued, as one of the hotels implementing the concept of sharia, the hotel room occupancy rate is still quite high on an average of 75-80 percent per month. “Sharia label that we use does not reduce the interest of the guests to choose our hotel as a place to stay. This means that we are constantly committed to improve our services to consumers, “said Wahyudin after the giving of Islamic certification from the Indonesian Ulama Council (MUI) to Grand Kalimas Hotel Surabaya. According to him, this concept has actually been implemented by the hotel, which is located in the tourist area Sunan Ampel Grave in Surabaya since its foundation in 1993. In sharia concept of service is food or drink served to customers as well as service provided should apply the Islamic concept. “For example, our hotel will not accept unmarried couples to stay together. Then food and beverages served are halal as well as other forms of sharia services, “he said. By implementing sharia concept, Grand Kalimas Hotel wants to show that it has its own market segmentation adapted to the surrounding area of the hotel. We are not afraid that sharia hotel would be left by hotel guests. Most people visiting Sunan Ampel want this type of hotel, he added. With sharia certificate owned, Grand Kalimas Hotel, which is located on Jalan KH Mas Mansyur remains committed to implement the Islamic concept. He is grateful to the Islamic predicate that does not reduce the number of guests. Evidently, this time the average occupancy rate of the hotel is on average of 75-80 %. This condition becomes the basis for Wahyudin to increase the number of rooms from as many as 60 units to 100 units. “We’re expanding the number of rooms, and targeted to start operating by the end of November 2013, “said Wahyudin. The investment value of room expansion reached Rp 5 billion. Wahyudin added that Muslims in East Java who often make a pilgrimage to the graves of religious figures including the grave of Sunan Ampel are potential market sharia hotel. The management of Hotel Grand Kalimas has actually allocated around Rp 5 billion to renovate facilities, including increasing the number of rooms that are still 60 units to 100 units to be able to accommodate more guests. “The renovation process has entered the final stages and is targeted to complete in the end of November. In certain months, the number of pilgrims of Sunan Ampel grave increase significantly and we often overwhelmed by the room requests, “added General Manager Grand Kalimas, Fami Putra Lubis. At present, there are approximately 15 hotels in the area of Sunan Ampel grave with quite high hotel occupancy and without any tariff war. Besides in Surabaya, similar religious attractions in East Java which is visited by many pilgrims are the grave of Sunan Giri and Sunan Maulana Malik Ibrahim in Gresik, Sunan Drajad grave in Lamongan regency, and the grave of Sunan Bonang in Tuban. ( * )

Bali 817 19

Vol. VIII No. 11, 2013

egian Kuta – Bali, 14 October 2013 - Last Friday, 11 October 2013 was marked the grand opening celebration of what has quickly become one of Kuta’s most popular hotels, the Harper Kuta. Having

soft opened in July, the hotel has immediately enjoyed unusually high occupancy levels of 80% and above and immediately received loads of accolades on Tripadvisor and several other customer review websites.

The Grand Opening Celebration marked an open invitation for several hundred travel agents, tour operators, media representatives and holiday makers residing in the central Kuta area to experience The Harper Kuta’s unique rustic yet ultra modern design concept and its signature restaurant “Rustik Bistro & Bar”, with great entertainment by the hotel’s resident DJ, door prizes and hotel front and back of house tours. The new Harper Kuta is being described as “modern – rustic,” and images posted to the brand’s Web site, www.HarperHotels.com, in some ways reflect the aesthetics of a cozy countryside home while remaining unmistakably Asian and modern in its core. The handsome hotel sits right of Jalan Legian in the very heart of Bali’s legendary surfer enclave of Kuta and offers 149 rooms and suites, many of which offer private balconies, a stunning outdoor pool with sun deck, a children’s pool, and an intimate spa, and the Harper brand’s signature restaurant “Rustik Bistro & Bar”. Conceptualized to be modern yet infused with rustic charm the hotel conveys a residential feel. Combining comfort and functionality, Harper’s design concept uses warm, rich colors to offer comfort in each room. Accents of warm autumnal fabrics and soft orange hues promote relaxation - spiced pumpkin, tangerine and amber are popular variations of the orange

palette - while modern grays create an understated cool elegance. The principal restaurant “Rustik Bistro & Bar” offers home comfort food cooking paired with great wine and cocktails in a fresh, light and elegant room placing an emphasis on creating dishes that promote the finest home cooking – both European and Indonesian such as Coq au Vin, Beef Stew – Beef Rendang and Soto Ayam. “The new Harper Hotel concept opens the doors onto a new world of well-being and sensations. We all like to have a place to call our own and while travelling; this means comfort, practicality and a true reflection of our personality, a hotel with inspirational and distinctive interiors, finished to the highest quality standards,” said Archipelago International’s Vice President of Sales & Marketing, Mr. Norbert Vas.

photo by spc

GRAND OPENING CELEBRATION of HARPER KUTA

Ticking Down to ATEC 2013

Bali’s First Animal Training & Enrichment Conference December 1-5, 2013

he clock is ticking down on Indonesia’s first Animal Training and Enrichment Conference to be held at the Bali Safari and Marine Park December 1-5, 2013 (ATEC 2013). World leaders and innovators in animal training and enrichment techniques for use with captive animal populations will be traveling to Bali to trade insights and share cutting edge methodologies for use by zoos, sanctuaries and animal parks. Those attending ATEC 2013 will experience a number of highlights:

•

Meet Joe Coe who has designed zoos in more than 40 countries including the magnificent Bali Safari Marine Park. Joe will conduct walking tours while sharing his expertise on creating enriching animal exhibits. Share with Valerie Hare of The Shape of Enrichment, Inc. (SHAPE). Valerie is the guru of animal enrichment and a worldwide ambassador for best practice in animal care.

Valerie currently serves on the International Conference on Environmental Enrichment Committee (ICEE) and Bear Care Group BOD.

•

Steve Martin of Natural Encounter, Inc. will be traveling to Bali after appearing at the World Aquarium Zoo Association (WAZA). A recognized animal trainer for more than 30 years, Steve has worked with Disney’s Animal Kingdom, San Diego Wild Animal Park, AZA Animal Training School and the Elephant Management School in Hamburg Germany. He is also President of both Natural Encounters, Inc. (NEI) and Natural Encounters Conservation Fund, Inc. (NECF) - a company dedicated to raising money for conservation programs.

• The Venue: Bali Safari and Marine Park - Indonesia’s leading wildlife park has been

awarded “A’ class accreditation as a wildlife and animal conservation institution. Home to the groundbreaking Bali Agung Theatre, participants of ATEC will gain privileged “behind the scene” insights from a team that prides itself on its care and expertise in the area of animal training and enhancement.

•

Special events have been organized at the Bali Safari and Marine Park Bali Agung Theatre – a 1200 seat state-of-the-art performance center where Balinese culture and a wide range of wildlife are the stars.

• An exclusive night safari and dinner at the Bali Safari and Marine Park.

Special accommodation packages with pre and post conference options are available. For more information visit the ATEC 2013 website www. atecbali.com or email secretariat@atecbali.com

Developing Cultural Tourism in West Sumba W

est Sumba is currently actively developing its tourism. Cultural tourism is a priority in the development of Tourism in West Sumba Regency. To further introduce cultural tourism potentials, some time ago, the people of West Sumba held a cultural exhibition. The exhibition was held in Mandaelu field located in the heart of Waikabubak. Fifty traditional houses of West Sumba were built on the field in three days. The presence of these traditional houses, in accordance to West Sumba Regent, Jubilate Pieter Pandango, aims to show the spirit of unity among the community, as well an effort to preserve the culture of Sumba and give lessons to the younger generation to appreciate their own culture. The houses were built to enliven the 68th Anniversary of Indonesian Independence Day. “This year’s Indonesian Independence Day celebration is unique and we created this deliberately to evoke a sense of togetherness and unity among the people of West Sumba, “said JP Panadango. This event took place for a month and enlivened by various entertainment events such as traditional dances from various art studios, local musicians and music group NTT Voice and a number of other music groups.

Based in Mandaelu Field The strong effort of the West Sumba to hold this exhibition has moved Regent JP Pandango. To be closer to the people, the regent who also loves big motorbike, decided to temporarily move his office to Mandaelu field. On Thursday, August 29 he occupies ‘new office’ in Mandaelu Field. Coordination meeting with District education office, receiving guests, and signing the papers were done in a traditional house set right in the middle of the field and surrounded by other traditional houses. Mandaelu field is transformed into a village with a variety of daily activities performed by the local people. “Based in Traditional House is the first time happened during the leadership of the West Sumba Regent, “said one resident of West Sumba who refused to mention his name. In addition to the coordination meeting on the same day, West Sumba Regent received a number of foreign investors who want to invest in West Sumba. He also spent time to accept the school children of various schools in West Sumba, either to chat or just sign the coverage results of children who walked around digging up information from various booths set up.

1018 Bali

Vol. VIII No. 11, 2013

EDEN HOTEL LAUNCHES A VARIETY OF TRADITIONAL NEW INDONESIA & WESTERN MENUS

den Hotel Kuta Bali have introduced a variety of traditional new Indonesia and Western Menus, adding unique touches to the cuisine experiences. This delectable menu is prepared with the skill of Chef I Made Bagus Widhyantara who explained, “I am delighted to join forces with Mr. Sebastien Menesguen, the General Manager and present our new Indonesia and Western New Menu. For almost a year, we have created innovative and unparalleled dishes for the guests. We hope this stage brings unique touches to the cuisine experiences to our regular and new guests”.

Paradisus, a restaurant, bar and lounge deck is keeping with the Eden concept of ‘Nature at your door..,’ Paradisus provides an ambience of fresh relaxation and smartly maximizes space to accentuate nature. Vertical gardens are dripping with flowers and plants, the air is filled with lively bird song, and even the indoor space has nature-themed artwork adoring the walls. Staffs dressed in leaf patterned shirts complete the picture. For brunch lovers, the all-you-can-eat brunch buffet is available from 12 to 3 pm on Sundays and highlights tasty creations from Chef I Made Bagus Widhyantara accompanied by a chill out live DJ set.

Homestyle Hospitality at Palloma Hotel Kuta

niences to ensure quality rest at the end of each day. Palloma Hotel Kuta is strategically located in Jalan Dewi Sri, a key road that provides easy access to the tourist based areas of Legian and Seminyak. It is within walking distance to Krisna for island-inspired handicrafts and souvenirs. Sunset Star is also close by and this complex features an international fast-food outlet, a themed cafe and Indonesian dining options. Ngurah Rai Airport is just 20 minutes

away by car and Kuta’s famed surf beach can be reached within 10 minutes. “We are enthusiastic to welcome and accommodate our guests with our home style hospitality, offering a comfortable and affordable place to stay during their holiday to the island of Bali.” Commented Jupiter G Lalwani, Corporate Director of the Hotel. For more information or reservation, please contact reservation@pallomahotelkuta.com or visit www.pallomahotelkuta.com

photo by spc

ecently opened Palloma Hotel Kuta is a comfortable home base with a youthful vibe that warmly welcomes guests to the island of Bali. It anticipates the needs of business and pleasure travelers alike with an array of meeting and recreational facilities. Strategically located, Palloma Hotel Kuta is just minutes from popular hotspots including Legian and the lively district of Seminyak. With the total of 52 smart rooms styled with clean-line furnishings and modern conve-

ADRIANUS GEDE EKADANA

Melaspas Ceremony at ibis Styles Bali Dewi Sri before welcoming their first guest

foto by spc

The hotel is arranging a Melaspas ceremony for good luck and prosperity

bis Styles Bali Kuta Dewi Sri held a traditional Hindu-Balinese “Melaspas” ceremony on Monday. The highly successful economy

hotel project under ibis styles brand has 114 rooms having been recently completed. Ideally located just a short stroll from the famous Kuta, Legian and Seminyak areas and within walking distance of Kuta Central Park, the hotel offers superb accommodation close to the best that Bali has to offer for both business and leisure travelers: beaches, shopping, nightlife and dining experiences. The ceremony consisted of two individual ceremonies: Mecaru (Blessing the hotel for good will from the Gods) and Melaspas (Blessing the new hotel that aims to cleanse the new land property from any bad spirits so later on the people who stay or work there will

feel ease and comfortable). This ceremony was attended by more than 100 people, mostly local dignitaries and VIP guests from owning company, management, staff, other Accor properties team in Bali and the Banjar Kuta community to lend their support and pray for the success of our hotel. Now that the Melaspas ceremony has taken place, we can move forward with the opening of our exceptional hotel, in the knowledge that it will be free of bad influences and be ready to welcome the first guest very soon. For more information about the hotel, please visit www.accorhotels.com/8451.

“The fact that I started from the bottom and I have passed all the levels, gives the feeling that I have reached all the targets in few years only by working, learning and putting respects on THE JOB” The above phrase is the principle of Adrianus Gede Ekadana in living his professional life. He joined the Smart Stylish Team of THE 1O1 Bali Legian as Chef & Beverage Manager in May 2013. Calm, contented and mature are the best three words to describe his personality. Graduated from Balai Pendidikan dan Latihan Pariwisata, Nusa Dua, Bali, Gede started his career as a Senior Cook in Siantar Hotel, Pematang Siantar, North Sumatera. Ever since, his career has kept growing and glowing, and delivered him to be Executive Chef in some major brand hotels, like Sheraton Mustika Yogyakarta, Sheraton Senggigi Beach Hotel, and Mandarin Oriental Hotel Majapahit Hotel. Aside from his formal experiences, Gede also had performed in abroad food promotions, like in Taiwan, Denmark and Germany. Smooth, efficient, less noise and result oriented is one exact phrase that describes the way he works.

Kuta

e:Kut a I nf o@Q ue s t H ot e l s .c om

13 Bali 817 1

Vol. VIII No. 11, 2013

The Power of Art Exhibition to Strengthen Bali - Japan Cultural Ties

photo by spc

Delicious Fried Duck at Serani Café – Santika Kuta

tween generations, which is quite strategic in maintaining, preserving and developing the nation’s art and culture. In addition, of course, it can increase activity and creativity of cultural arts in the Bali Arts Center. “So Bali Arts Center is not only crowded by people during Bali Arts Festival (PKB), which is usually held around the month of June to July, “he said. Similarly, Balinese artist Wyasa Bakti, who is also head of Bali Studio added that the exhibition between Japanese and Balinese artists previously had already been held. Unfortunately, it wasn’t continued. Therefore, this exhibition should be able to continue in the future. At least, it can take place every year so that the life of art in the art world still beating continuously. “It is also part of the attempt to build cultural diplomacy for world peace, “he concluded.

BBTF , Annual Tourism Promotional Event of Bali and Beyond

angupura , Bali ( Paradiso ) - Regent of Badung regency , Bali , AA Gde Agung said the that local government of Badung regency will make Bali and Beyond Travel Fair (BBTF) an annual event. The event, which was initiated by Asita Bali is expected to become Indonesia’s main event in terms of world tourism promotion. He said it when receiving the organizing team of BBTF 2014 in his office on Wednesday (10/30/2013). “I’d like to thank Asita Badung for their initiative, creativity and readiness to help with the existing capacity, “said Gde Agung. To the regent and his staff, Ketut Ardana Asita Bali chairman, introduced the chairman and organizing team of BBTF 2014 as well as described the implementation concept of a travel fair and direct promotion. BBTF 2014 will be held on 10 to 14 June 2014 in two places, namely the Bali Nusa Dua Convention Centre for travex activities and Beachwalk Kuta for direct promotional of tourism product. “We are targeting 350 foreign countries as buyers 500 sellers and exhibitors from Indonesia, “said Chairman of BBTF Freddy Panca. Asita expect the support of the people of Bali, Bali provincial government, the City and District government of Bali for a successful event which is firstly held in Indonesia. BBTF also has become one of the program activities of the Indonesian Tourism Promotion Board Bali Regional (BPPI Bali). The event, which is also supported by the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy, is estimated to cost Rp 10 billion. “In addition to government and the participants’ support, the organizer opens the doors for the tourism stakeholders to become sponsor of the event, “said Ardana. In addition to strengthening the Indonesian tourism promotional event, BBTF is expected to support the implementation of imaging Bali as the island that develops cultural tourism . Therefore BBTF is held close to the time of the implementation of the Bali Arts Festival (PKB , so that domestic and foreign buyes and sellers can explore the Balinese culture through PKB. (dwi)

photo by spc

antika Hotel Kuta always presents a new and interesting menu for its customers. This time Chef Suwarna features fried duck, which is certainly delicious. Fried Duck menu can be ordered at any time at Cafe Serani Santika Hotel Kuta. According to Chef Suwarna, in addition to good taste, eating fried duck at Cafe Serani would be unforgettable experience for the guests. The fried duck is well seasoned and easy to eat. With Balinese condiment as a company, this menu is ready to provide you with perfect lunch or dinner at Serani Café - Santika Hotel Kuta.

sian Impressions Tour explained that this exhibition was featuring approximately 250 paintings by artists from Japan and 20 painting by elementary school children (SD) in Bali, including from a number of art galleries such as Jepun Art Studio and Bali Studio. He further explained that this exhibition is made possible through the support of Japanation, MAC Travel Bureau, Indonesia Impressions Tour and UPT. Taman Budaya (Arts center) Bali. Hopefully, this exhibition could be a cultural bridge for the establishment of cultural diplomacy between Japan and Bali as well encourage creative spirit of the younger generation in the field of arts and culture in the future. “Thus, the life of art and culture can be preserved and continue to grow, “he said. Furthermore, COE of Japanation Yoshitaka Kobayashi added that all paintings on display in the exhibition will be documented in a magazine in the end of February 2014. This exhibition is a series of celebrations of 40-year relationship between Japan and ASEAN. In particular, cooperation between Japan and Bali. “This is part of the attempt to establish cultural exchange between Japan and Bali, “he explained. Meanwhile, Head of UPT. Taman Budaya, Ketut Mantara Gandi hopes that this exhibition can be continuously held in the future, so the Japanese - Bali cultural diplomacy can later become a bridge be-

photo by spc

orld peace is the main capital to encourage the development of a prosperous society in spiritual and physical life. That is why, various efforts are always made in achieving these objectives in a sustainable manner. One of them is to build cultural diplomacy among nations in the world. Social activity in a form of art exhibition titled ‘The Power of Art’ was held on the ground floor of the Ksirarnawa building, Arts Centre Bali, Denpasar, which has lasted until Monday (28/10). The exhibition involving 37 artists from Japan was officially opened by CEO of Japanation, Yoshitaka Kobayashi accompanied by figure from Kesiman Palace Denpasar, AAN Kusumawardhana and the Head of Cultural Park (arts center) Bali, I Ketut Mantara Gandi on Friday (25/10). The opening was marked by a serimonial procession of cutting the ribbon. Interestingly, among the paintings, there are the works of the grandson of Bali’s famous artist, Mario Blanco such as the work of Ida Ayu Keysha Zeta Blanco Oka titled Dunia Air (Water World), Ida Ayu Eugenia Blanco Oka entitled Hegiscue Rose, as well as the work of Bagus Sastra (3 yo) titled Garis (Lines), the work of Putu Nadia titled hari yang indah (A Beautiful Day), and the work of Bakti Wyasa entitled Manusia Padi (Rice Man). Exhibition Coordinator, Wayan Suena, who is also Managing Director of Indone-

XL to Provide XL Cash Service for Blue Bird Taxi Payment

T XL Axiata Tbk (XL) launched its latest innovation to improve customer experience. XL Tunai (XL Cash), product innovation of XL Digital Service, which carries a cash-less transaction, launched a partnership with Blue Bird Group, a leading provider of transportation services. In the early stages of this cooperation, 750 Blue Bird Taxis have been prepared to accept payment by XL Cash. The signing of MoU was done by the President Director of XL - Hasnul Suhaimi and Vice President of Business Development Blue Bird Group - Nonie Purnomo, in Kuta, Bali, on Friday (4/10). Hasnul Suhaimi said, XL Cash development aims to provide convenience for XL customers in transacting anytime. “The partnership between XL and the Blue Bird

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Group is part of XL’s commitment to developing digital services, in line with the government program to encourage the creation of a less cash society. Through this cooperation, XL users, both passenger and driver will enjoy the benefits, security and convenience in transaction, “Hasnul said in his press conference. Vice President of Business Development Blue Bird Group Nonie Purnomo added that cooperation with XL Cash adds taxi fare payment alternatives other than cash, credit vouchers Blue Bird Group, both corporate and personal, credit card and debit card. “Bali is a pilot project for this cooperation. We hope this cooperation will be soon extended to other cities where Blue Bird taxi operates, “Nonie said. XL Cash Collaboration and Blue Bird Group conducted in Bali, which coincided with the APEC Summit 2013, can not be separated from the rapid development of the region as a tourist destination domestically and internationally. XL Cash is a virtual wallet facility of XL which provides convenience for the user’s transaction with electronic money that can be used

to perform a variety of financial transactions by mobile phone only. To make a payment for Bali Taxi service, users simply access the XL Cash *123*120*3# , for the payment menu Bali Taxi Blue Bird. After inserting the driver NIP and the amount of payment, service users will receive verification of payment, which will be directly accepted by the driver. Supported by drivers who are friendly and honest as well as high -quality digital transaction services, partnership between XL Axiata and Blue Bird Group will significantly increase the comfort of using taxi service and provide more value for users of XL while traveling with Blue Bird Group. With more than 500,000 users of XL Cash, the addition of service payment of Blue Bird Group will improve the experience for XL users. “The safety and comfort of our customers is a priority in developing the XL Cash service. Through this collaboration, both XL users and taxi drivers as well as passengers will enjoy the ease and convenience of the services, “said Hasnul. Cash XL is a facility owned by every XL user without having to download the application. XL users simply perform activation by accessing *123*120#, then transfer the XL Cash balances at all ATMs in Indonesia, XL Center and the nearest Alfamart. Currently, in addition to payment of the Blue Bird Group facility in Bali, XL Cash can be used for bill payments, purchase mobile phone credit, shopping at Alfamart, as well as the disbursement of the balance in cash, or bank transfer. Currently XL Cash payments are accepted at over 8000 merchants. ***

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Vol. VIII No. 11, 2013

A wedding on the Rooftop Wedding Chapel Jim’bar’N

ooftop Weeding Chapel Jim’bar’N is located on the hill of South Bali with a view 360 ° above Jimbaran Bay and the Indian Ocean. It is a favorite venue for young couples both from Indonesia and abroad to hold their dream wedding. Broad expanse of landscape that covers the entire island of Bali with breathtaking views during the sunset is set up as the ideal backdrop for wedding moment that always dreamed of by

every young couple today, very impressive and will not be forgotten. HARRIS Hotel Bukit Jimbaran prepares for this important moment with great details and is ready to explore your new life of togetherness and couples in confidence. Trust us to make your dream wedding come true at the Rooftop Wedding Chapel Jim’bar’N. HARRIS Hotel Bukit Jimbaran has prepared the wedding package options to meet the needs of every young couple in the planning of the

present moment that is important and valuable vows to live together with a partner that is only performed once in a lifetime. ‘Standard Package’ with a starting price of IDR 12,000,000 nett, has included wedding chapel decoration, the use of Suite Room for wedding ceremony and commemorative Ceremony Certificate. You can also choose the ‘Legal Package’ with prices starting from IDR 8,000,000 nett, inclusive of Pre Meeting Service, Wedding Liturge, Religious

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Wedding Ceremony, Legal Wedding Ceremony and Marriage Certificate. We also have ‘Dinner Reception’ package with a starting price of IDR 400,000 net / person, including standard decorations for a wedding reception, test food for five people, dinner reception, standard sound system and lighting. Not only wedding package, HARRIS Hotel Bukit Jimbaran also has a package for Honeymooners, which is a 3D/2N stay at the starting price of IDR 2,100,000 nett, inclusive of breakfast, candle light dinner, a bottle of wine, Balinesse massage for two, airport transfers and late check out until 18.00 pm. So there is no need to think twice and trust HARRIS Hotel Bukit Jiimbaran as a place to capture important moments of your wedding and your partner. We make sure all players of HARRIS Hotel Bukit Jimbaran are ready to provide the best services and of course the atmosphere and the feel of different weddings in Rooftop Wedding Chapel Jim ‘ bar’N.

osta Cruise Victoria is one of 14 ships owned by Costa cruise under the holding company of PT. Carnival Inc. The ship will enter Indonesia water on November 25 and December 23 in Semarang. It will travel to a number of tourist destinations in Indonesia such as Borobudur temple and islands of Karimun Java. On November 26 and December 24, Costa Cruise Victoria is visiting Bali and will be anchored in the port of Benoa. The passengers will be pampered with Bali’s natural beauty and the hospitality of the local people as well as Bali’s beautiful tourist places like Kuta and Sanur Beach. The next destination is Lombok Island. The ship will be in Lombok from 27 November to 25 December. Interestingly, Costa Cruise Victoria, which departed from the port of Marina Bay, Singapore will celebrate Christmas Eve in Lombok waters for December 23 departure date from Singapore. The ship is estimated to carry approximately 2,900 from Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Australia, and other European countries. Costa Cruise Victoria weighs 75,166 tons with a length of 253 meters. It has 14 decks with 964

cabins. The interior design is very luxurious with a rich touch of Italian style. Costa Victoria has very complete facilities like a floating hotel. It has a theater that can accommodate approximately 650 passengers with tight and interesting shows every day. This ship also has five restaurants both ala carte and buffet (5 meals and free) including 10 bars. Costa Cruise Victoria is also completed with three swimming pools, fitness / gym, salon, spa, basketball court, meeting rooms, and others. Costa Cruise Victoria is the best cruise in Europe that offers at special price and plus special promotional price for Indonesian citizens in November and December. Thus, do not miss this golden opportunity to feel the atmosphere of “Italy at sea” without having to visit Italy.

Another cruise ship that is going to visit Indonesia is Sapphire Princess. It will depart on January 13, 2015 from the port of Marina Bay Singapore and will also enter the waters of Indonesia, Jakarta and stop at the port of Benoa in Bali and after an overnight journey will continue sailing to Komodo Island and Lombok Island. Sapphire Princess which weighs 116,000 tons comprises 18 decks consists of 740 cabins with private balcony. PT Carnival that has experienced more than 60 years in the field of cruise ship service is the world’s leading shipping group based in New York and is listed in the London and New York Stock Exchange. It has 10 different brands of ship in North America, Europe and Australia among others including Costa Cruises and Princess Cruises.

photo by spc

Costa Cruise Victoria and Sapphire Princess will stop on the island of Bali and Lombok

VVIP GUESTS AT PATRA JASA BALI RESORT & VILLAS H.E. Susilo Bambang Yudoyono – President Republic Indonesia

here are many reasons to stay at Patra Jasa Bali Resort & Villas’s popularity. It has the largest guestrooms in the Kuta area. The vast size of the grounds, eleven hectares means that the hotel itself is secluded and also especially secure. Only 5 minutes away from International Airport of Ngurah Rai, slightly away from the main Kuta area but within close distance to main shopping district and night life. Patra Jasa Bali Resort & Villas’s character as a VIP hotel has a long heritage, a prime luxury hideaway for high government officials and state guests. A long list of kings, queens and heads of state have stayed here. Patra Jasa Bali Resort and Villas has become popular destination for head of state, royal families, public figure, as well as families, honeymooners and individual travellers. It was an honor and pride of Management & Staff Patra Jasa Bali Resort & Villas selected as the venue to stay for H.E. Susilo Bambang Yudoyono - President Republic Indonesia and First Lady during their visit to Bali on 23 – 25 September 2013. (seen in the picture H.E.Susilo Bambang Yudoyono – President Republic Indonesia and first lady along with Mr. Susilo – President Director of PT. Patra Jasa and Management of Patra Jasa Bali Resort & Villas)

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DMO to Promote Potentials Around Borobudur Temple

Firmansyah Rahim (center) with tourism stakeholders during the opening of Borobudur Community Expo (BCE) 2013 in Magelang.

is a World Heritage Site and is a magnet for domestic and foreign tourists to visit Indonesia. This can be seen from the number of visits during the Idul Fitri holiday 2013. There were 179 711 local and foreign travelers visiting Borobudur Temple and visits up to August 2013 showed the number of 2,299,678 tourists. (bowo)

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President Director of PT TWCB, Prambanan and Ratu Boko, Purnomo Siswoprasetjo gives his appreciation towards the activities of BCE 2013. He said that this activity could promote the tourism potentials around the Borobudur temple which has a special appeal to invite tourists both local and international. “Tourist attraction that can be offered are enjoying sunrise in Punthuk Setumbu or watching sunset from the village of Wanurejo. So the potential of the village and the people behind the Borobudur Temple could be exposed. The areas surrounding Borobudur temple can be great tourism potentials to attract more tourists to the temple and its surrounding areas. It is also expected that tourists can stay longer in Borobudur. This can be achieved through efforts such as BCE 2013 activities, “said Purnomo. As we have already known that Borobudur

photo by spc

MO Program (Destination Management Organization) attempts to promote the tourism potentials around the tourist attraction such as done in the area around the Borobudur Temple, Magelang, Central Java. Director General of Tourism Destination Development, Firmansyah Rahim said that Borobudur temple area actually has a considerable potential for tourism, both in terms of natural environment and local culture of the villages in the surrounding area of Borobudur temple. “ DMO program which has been running since 2011 aims to realize an integrated tourism management combining all sectors, actors, and areas in the development of tourism destinations, “said Firmansyah in Magelang, Central Java recently. Borobudur community through the Local Working Group Borobudur DMO initiated an event dedicated to all people titled Borobudur Community Expo (BCE) 2013. The first BCE was held in the parking area of Taman Wisata Candi Borobudur (TWCB) Magelang regency, starting on Friday (10/11/2013) until Sunday (13/10/2013). “Borobudur Community Expo is a collaboration of all stakeholders in Borobudur area, community groups and businesses in the District of Borobudur, local government of Magelang regency, particularly the Department of Tourism and Culture, as well as PT. Taman Wisata Candi Borobudur, Prambanan, and Ratu Boko, “said Firmansyah. Agus Anggoro Murti, BCE 2013 Committee Chairman expressed his desire to actualize and demonstrate the potentials of tourism stakeholders owned by the community in Borobudur and its surrounding areas. Agus said that there are at least 10 working groups involved in the BCE 2013. They included working group of batik, crafts, culinary, local transportation, destination, tour and travel, tourism villages and Borobudur stakeholder. Other activities included exhibitions of creative products, exhibition and information on tourism destinations, culinary, performing arts, and DMO Award.

European artists and famous Indonesian Models to Enliven Wedding Expo

y Dream Wedding (MDW), the biggest wedding and party expo in Bali will be present in Denpasar Bali from 8 to 10 November 2013. The event is initiated by Tiger Indonesian in cooperation with local partner JPPRO Bali and is going to be held at Aston Hotel Denpasar. Interestingly, the exhibition, which is also supported by Rhapsody, Izzata Bali, Beby Decoration and Bali Phyro this time not only brings top local designers from Bali who have performed their works on the national and in-

ternational stage, but a collection of clothes will also be exhibited by dozens of top models from Bali and Jakarta and the winners of Indonesian model 2013 as well as to celebrate the 13th anniversary of the LV CnC. Not only that, MDW 2013 also enlivens by the performance of master violist from Russia German Dmitriev and musician from Barcelona Mikel the Latin Crooner. There will also be a talk show about pre-marital health by Prodia. My Dream Wedding prepares more than 70 spaces for vendors who have businesses relate to the world of wedding, party and event from Java and Bali, as well as from Singapore. They include vendors of dresses, kebaya, decoration, venue, catering, invitation cards, EO / WO, cakes, hotels, spas, bridal,

makeup and much more. “Currently, there are vendors from Singapore, Jakarta, Surabaya and Bali who have confirmed their participation in this event. The event has just been launched for about a month and the response is very encouraging. Around 70% of the vendors have booked the space. Moreover, this year’s event is different from previous years as it is now fully supported by the provincial government of Bali and has become an annual event of Disparda Bali, “said Lucy Gani, Chairperson of the Organizing Committee. According to Lucy, the fact that Bali is Indonesia’s premier wedding destination becomes the basis for choosing Bali as the venue for the largest and grandest wedding expo in the para-

dise island. Natural beauty which is often used as pre-wedding photo locations, as well as various international facilities lately attracted many couples to have their wedding in Bali. “The exhibition is open to the public starting at 10am where the visitors and the brides and grooms can interact with wedding vendors. In the afternoon, there will be a variety of attractive shows and performances, talk shows about weddings, games and door prizes. Especially for the bride and groom, there will be a variety of interesting lucky dip and grand prize. We also provide press room and update information for media that can be obtained anytime, “said Jeanie Grace, Managing Director JPPRO Bali as well as public relations of the wedding exhibition. (igo)

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Vol. VIII No. 11, 2013

photo by spc

Gili Trawangan, the third cheapest Island in Southeast Asia

urrently the island of Gili Trawangan in Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) is ranked as the third cheapest destination in Southeast Asia. This ranking is given by a travel site TripAdvisor. This site has just released TripIndexIsland Sun 2013. It is the most recent survey comparing the cost of one night tour for two people in 20 islands major tourist destination in Southeast Asia. TripAdvisor’s TripIndexIsland Sun is based

on the amount of the total cost for two people staying in a four star hotel, with a two meals and coconut drinks, beer, massages, bicycle rental and scuba gear. Cost collected is accurate for the period of 16 September to 3 October 2013. “ Welcoming the end-of-year holiday season, TripIndexIsland Sun helps travelers to find out what they can get best with the money they have, “said TripAdvisor spokesman, Jean Ow - Yeong in a release.

In the survey, Gili Trawangan, Lombok is in the third position. According to the survey, two tourists can spend Rp 2,932,920 in one night. Meanwhile, there are still two other islands in Indonesian that fall into 20 major destinations in South East Asia, namely Batam and Bali. Batam is ranked 6th. In one night, two tourists can spend money up to Rp 3,393,004. Bali goes after Batam at the 7th position. In one night, two tourists spend as much as Rp

3,468,913. Koh Phangan in Thailand ranked first with a total TripIndex cost of Rp 2,647,186. The second rank was occupied by an island in Thailand, namely Koh Tao with a total cost of Rp 2,808,198. The most expensive island is occupied by Sentosa Island in Singapore with a TripIndex cost of Rp 9,706,016. This cost is three times higher than the cost in Koh Phangan. Another expensive island is Langkawi in Malaysia with a total cost of Rp 6,314,679. “ This list shows that Koh Phangan in Thailand is the most affordable tourist destination, while the Sentosa Island in Singapore is the most expensive one. The biggest trigger of these costs is the price of the hotel followed by a massage for two people, “ said Ow - Yeong.

Here are 20 islands, major tourist destination in Southeast Asia and the total cost based on TripIndex : 1 . Koh Food ( Rp 2,647,186 ) 2 . Koh Tao ( Rp 2,808,198 ) 3 . Gili Trawangan ( Rp 2,932,920 ) 4 . Ko Chang ( Rp 3,158,949 ) 5 . Cebu ( Rp 3,284,004 ) 6 . Batam ( Rp 3,393,680 ) 7 . Bali ( Rp 3,468,913 ) 8 . Ko Lanta ( Rp 3,601,682 ) 9 . Koh Samui ( Rp 3,646,395 ) 10 . Boracay ( Rp 3,995,288 )

11 . Bintan Island ( Rp 4,039,529 ) 12 . Phu Quoc Island ( Rp 4,144,937 ) 13 . Ko Phi Phi Don ( Rp 4,307,806 ) 14 . Phuket ( Rp 4,320,995 ) 15 . Pinang Island ( Rp 5,177,125 ) 16 . Redang Island ( Rp 5,326,450 ) 17 . Tioman Island( Rp 5,388,948 ) 18 . Palawan ( Rp 5,547,399 ) 19 . Langkawi ( Rp 6,314,679 ) 20 . Sentosa ( Rp 9,706,016 )

Krakatau Festival to Lift Lampung Tourism Potential

eputy Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy, Sapta Nirwandar accompanied by Lampung Provincial Government officials and representatives of the ambassadors of neighboring countries officially opened the 23rd Krakatau Festival. The opening took place in front of the South Lampung regent’s office. The opening was marked by the beating of Gamolan or cetik Lampung which is a traditional musical instrument from Lampung. “Krakatau Festival is held every year in August, “said the Governor of Lampung, Sjachroedin ZP in his speech in the opening of the 23rd Krakatau Festival, Saturday (10/19/2013). However, according to Sjachroedin, this year’s festival was not held in August due to the Ramadhan month. “Because it was collided with fasting month, so this was the first time we are holding the festival not in August, “he said. Krakatau Festival this year was held with a focus on Kalianda, South Lampung. Sjachroedin said, he would like to present a new atmosphere at the festival this year, which is different from the previous years. Krakatau Festival opening began with tapis cloth parade,

which is a traditional cloth from Lampung. This was followed by a cultural parade from all regencies in Lampung province. Through annual event such as Krakatau Festival, it is expected that more people know about the culture of Lampung. This also means more people will choose Lampung as their holiday destination. “I think it’s the right thing to do that day we show a small part of Lampung culture, because through Krakatau Festival we introduce the culture and at the same time promote our tourism potentials, “said Sapta. The 23rd Krakatau Festival was held on 19-20 October 2013 with the theme of “The Mask of United Colours”. One of the festival’s main agendas was a visit to the Child of Krakatau, which took place on the second day of the celebration. Lampung has the best cultural and natural potentials needed by tourism industry. Beach tourism, which offers water sport attractions, is the main tourist attraction of Lampung. “What we present to the public is the cultural and natural attractions of Lampung. The province has everything ranging from beautiful beaches perfect for sports fans, especially surfing and

diving to cultural attractions. No need to travel far for watching dolphins, for it can be enjoyed here in Lampung, “said Nirwandar. In addition to nature and culture, according to Sapta, Lampung also has other potential namely flora and fauna. “In Lampung, there are at least three iconic fauna in addition to elephants. They are tapirs and rhinos, “he said. In the fashion world, Lampung has tapis cloth, fabric that characterizes the Lampung people and expected to be more prominent in the international world. In addition to flora, fauna and fashion, Lampung also offers various culinary experiences. Wingko pisang is a creative production of Lampung people that could be a souvenir after a visit to Lampung. A total of 24 ambassadors and representatives of neighboring countries attended the celebration of the 23rd Krakatau Festival. They are from Portugal, Ecuador, Belarus, Georgia, Cuba, Bangladesh, South Korea, United Kingdom, United States, Yemen, Qatar, Brunei Darussalam, Tunisia, Afghanistan, Thailand, Saudi Arabia, Seychelles, Russia, England, Ukraine, Poland, Brazil, Palestine, and Greece. ( * )

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Vol. VIII No. 11, 2013

Promoting The Amazing Paradise in West R

aja Ampat’s natural splendor presented to the world through a magnificent event titled Raja Ampat Festival 2013. This regular event has entered its fourth year and was held at Waisai Torang Cinta Beach (WTC) on 18 to 21 October 2013. Raja Ampat Festival 2013 is one of the programs organized by the Local Government of Raja Ampat, West Papua and supported by the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy ( Kemenparekraf ). This event aims to promote Raja Ampat as one of the leading destinations Indonesia. Implementation of Raja Ampat Festival 2013 with the theme of “Explore the Cultural Wonder of Raja Ampat” has been included in the National Tourism Calendar and gets support from Kemenparekraf since 2010. Raja Ampat has been known worldwide for its world class dive sites and has been repeatedly chosen as a filming location by world film producers and an international broadcasting company. Raja Ampat Festival 2013 is also a means to promote cultural diversity of Raja Ampat to the public in an attempt to boost tourist arrivals to Indonesia in Wonderful Indonesia program and to encourage tourists domestic tourists to visit Papua and West Papua, and Raja Ampat in particular as well as to love tourist destinations in Indonesia in the program “Know your loved your country.” I Gede Pitana, Head of Resources Development Kemenparekraf representing Menparekraf said, Raja Ampat Festival 2013 is interesting to watch and be one of the activities in an attempt to increase tourist visits not only to Raja Ampat, but also to the city of Sorong as hub and surrounding areas such as Western Sorong Regency, South Sorong, and Tambraw and Maibrat Regency.

“Raja Ampat Festival, which takes place every year in Waisai becomes one of the attractions for tourists to come to Raja Ampat Island primarily to visit Wayag Island known as a world-class as geopark, “said Pitana in Waisai, Raja Ampat, West Papua, on Friday ( 17.10.2013 ). On the same occasion, the Regent of Raja Ampat Marcus Wanma said that Raja Ampat Festival 2013 was followed by 17 districts around the island of Waisai. They enlivened the festival in the art and cultural event through Cakalele dance competition, Wor Dance, and Lalayon dance, craft exhibitions, culinary, travel and tour events. “ I look forward to the implementation of Raja Ampat Festival next year. Hopefully, it will be increased by involving participants from all over the county and city in the province of West Papua, “said Marcus. The festival featured a variety of events such as exhibition of Marine Tourism, Culinary Festival, Arts, and Cultural Performances, Photo Contest and different traditional art performances including Yospan Dance Contest, Tambur Flute, and Wayase. One of the highlights of this festival is a demonstration of the traditional boating skills that have been passed down from generation to generation, which is the traditional way of Papua Seafarers. The organizer also provided tour packages for visitors such as bird-watching to see bald bird of paradise and cassowary, diving tours, snorkeling tours, and tourist village exploration. Raja Ampat includes a series of islands and the main islands are Waigeo, Salawati, Batanta, and Misool. Raja Ampat also offers unforgettable diving experience in its most beautiful underwater.

Targeting 12 Thousand Foreign Tourists Through Raja Ampat Festival, the local government is targeting 12 thousand tourists to come this year. “One of the goals of the Raja Ampat Festival is to promote tourism, “said Marcus Wanma. In 2012, nearly 8 thousand foreign tourists came. While domestic tourists came was lower as many as two thousand domestic tourists. “This means that Raja Ampat is known more by foreigners, “said Marcus. Through Raja Ampat Festival 2013, the number of tourist arrival is expected to increase. Target of foreign tourist arrivals this year has also been established. “This year’s target is 9-12 thousand visitors, “he said. On the same occasion, Head of Culture and Tourism Office of Raja Ampat, Yusdi N Lamatenggo, said that there are about 500-600 foreign tourists coming. “It could even be more than one thousand people per month, “said Yusdi. Tourists who come to Raja Ampat will be given a special pin. By wearing the pin, you are free to go to Raja Ampat for one year. “Visitors need to pay once and they will get free admission for a year as long as they put the pin on, “said Yusdi. The pin costs Rp 500,000/person for foreign tourists and Rp 250,000/person for domestic tourists.

Papua

To reach Raja Ampat, for those who depart from Jakarta can take a six -hour flight to Sorong with transit in Makassar or Manado. Some airlines that serve flights to Raja Ampat are Merpati, Express Air, Lion Air, Wings Air, Garuda Indonesia and Pelita Air. After arriving in Sorong, you could take a ferry or rent a boat to the island of Waisai / Waigeo, after arriving on the island you can explore the spectacular beauty of the marine park or even see the splendor of the composition of atoll islands that are widely scattered around Waisai. (bowo)

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Sumatra is ready for special interest tourism

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he 19th Tourism Indonesia Mart & Expo (TIME) was officially closed on Sunday afternoon (20/10). It was attended by 83 buyers from 27 countries and 81 sellers. The buyers are dominated by buyers from Malaysia, Indonesia, Poland, Netherlands, India and Singapore. According Meity Robot, Steering Committee of TIME 2013 in Padang, buyers who have potentials to sell Indonesian tourism products and services in their respective countries are from Australia, Bangladesh, Bulgaria, Canada, Czech Republic, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Philippines, Poland, Romania, Singapore, Slovania, South Africa, Thailand, Netherlands, UK and USA. On different occasion, Devi, corporate manager of Santika Indonesia Hotels & Resorts said that Santika Indonesia Hotels & Resorts’ participation in this event aims to promote Sumatra’s tourism. Santika Indonesia Hotels in Sumatra are located in Medan, Bangka and Bengkulu. There is a plan to build another one in Padang; however, the exact time has not been confirmed yet. During its participation in the exhibition, Santika Indonesia Hotels & Resorts have got the contact numbers of a number of prospective buyers that will be followed up later to make tour package. “We also want to know more about the market here, because Santika want to go international, “said Devi. Currently, Santika Group has expanded to Singapore under the brand of Amaris Hotel. This group is a local hotel chain that the have not been known well by the international community, in contrast to the international hotel chain such as Accor or Marriot. Devi said that many buyers are interested in Santika Indonesia Hotels & Resorts for it is Indonesian product that provides special services to make the guests feel like at home. While another seller Ian Hanafi of Ero tour which is a local agent in West Sumatra, said that he is going to follow up on some buyers who would buy a special interest package such as a tour to Mentawai, which offers not only surf package, but also a cultural package. This month, there will some guests from Destination Asia Cruise Ship who are going to stop in Mentawai. They are going to be invited to watch the traditional dance of anak dalam tribe. Siggi Neuhaus from ICS Travel also enthusiastically sell tourism products of Sumatra. He has been to Sawahlunto for three times with tourists from Europe. Although he only took 60 tourists to Sawalunto last, to visit Ducth heritage, but he is optimistic that this year the number will increase. “We are absolutely amazed by people’s hospitality here. We had dinner together with the owner of the home-stay. We felt secured although we didn’t stay in a luxurious hotel. The town is clean and the people are friendly. It’s just perfect for tourists, “said Siggi. According to Siggi, Sawahlunto has already had tourism potentials. What needed by this region is more creative activities for the tourists. The opening of Kandi Park, a family park,

Sapta Nirwandar when opening TIME 2013 in the West Sumatra.

is believed to increase the tourist arrivals to Sawahlunto. For Meity Robot, sellers’ satisfaction that mainly sells Sumatra shows that the region is ready to become special interest tourism destination. “It needs international direct flight to enliven tourism in this area. But this year’s TIME is going to be a positive step, “said Meity.

Targeting Transaction Value of Rp 20 billion TIME 2013 took place from 18 to 20 October 2013 in the Gran Inna Hotel Padang. The target of Rp 20 billion transactions was obtained during the event and it means that there is an increase of about 20 % from last year’s achievement of transactions that amounted to Rp 17 billion. Deputy Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy ( Wamenparekraf ) Indonesia, Sapta Nirwandar said that the implementation of TIME or Indonesian Tourism Market 2013 targeted to reach sales transactions of Rp20 billion. “Target set was based on the number of buyers invited, who come from 27 countries as well as various tourism products offered during the event. The big number of the buyers who par-

ticipated in the event provided bigger chances of an increase in transactions compared to the same event in Lampung in 2012, “he said. He further said that the transaction during TIME 2012 in Lampung reached Rp17 billion and brought in buyers that consisted of 60 companies. This year, more countries participated and there is possibility of transactions continues to increase. “As the host, West Sumatra also becomes an important point in an increase in transaction of TIME, in addition to the re- development of the area in terms of tourism. West Sumatra has been known widely for its cycling race event, the Tour de Singkarak. International cycling event Tour de Singkarak has made this region known to many countries, and it becomes an important point in the promotion of regional tourism, “he said. He added that 81 tour operators participating in the TIME 2013 also be a good combination to offer a variety of product package to Indonesia. TIME 2013 also involved international travel journalists whose writings about West Sumatra later can becomes Indonesian tourism promotional media. “ The number of buyer -seller sufficient appointment to get a great business opportunity,

discounted air fare by Garuda as a sponsor, pre and post tour for media buyers have become additional value to 2013 TIME participation, “added Meity Robot. Being asked about the venue for next year’s TIME (2014), Meity gave Pekanbaru as the answer. Certain region usually hosts TIME twice, but there will be changes in terms of this starting 2014. “Each province will have equal chance to be the host of the TIME. It depends on the agreement and the terms of conditions that should be fulfilled. So far, the implementation of TIME 2013 in Padang has obtained useful input. However a number of areas starting from 2014 are also likely to host the event, “said Meity Robot . In the next event, the government will only act as a facilitator. The Regional Tourism Promotion Board (BPPD), which consists of professionals, should work on this event, because the nature of TIME is business to business. He added that TIME that is organized annually by the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy (Kemenparekraf) becomes one of the events to meet the challenges of the increasingly rapid growth of tourism in the last two decades. (eka elisa)