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Vol. VIII No. 5, 2013

Exotic Lombok

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BOARD of Dewantoro Umbu JokaDIRECTOR Tonny Wijadjanto tonny@ultimoparadiso.com

EDITOR IN CHIEF Igo Kleden igo@ultimoparadiso.com

REPORTER Tri Wibowo bowo@ultimoparadiso.com ADVERTISING & Ben Sisko MARKETING DIRECTOR sales@ultimoparadiso.com

MARKETING Tania GRAPHICDESIGNER

ACCOUNTING Ni Komang Suciani accounting@ultimoparadiso.com

TRANSLATOR Indira Sari Paputungan

CONTRIBUTOR Christovao Vinhas christi_ani09@yahoo.com

DISTRIBUTOR Martin Sanjaya

BANK ACCOUNT 580 129 3435, Permata Bank Jl. Dewi Sartika - Denpasar

DISTRIBUTIONDOMESTIC: BALI - Kuta, Ngurah Rai Airport, Nusa Dua, Sanur, Denpasar and Ubud Area. JAKARTA - Ahmad Sufyani - Jl. Tomang Raya No. 63 - Ja-karta 11440. SURABAyA - Jl.Jend.Basuki Rahmat 129-137, Surabaya 60271, Ph : 031 – 5316364, Fax: 031 – 5315435. yogyAKARTA - Jl.Rumah Makan gudeg 60 Citro, Laksda Adisucipto Km 9, yogyakarta 55281, Ph.0274-488663. MANADo - Resort Scuba Diving-Liveboard. Manado, Hp. 08114303655 / 081 340 247 788 Fax. 656720685, LoMBoK - Lombok Eksotis, Jl. Adi Sucipto No. 43, Ampenan - Lombok 83234, Ph. (0370) 643014, Fax (0370) 646840. KUPANg - Jl. Perintis Ke-merdekaan III/38 - Walikota Kupang Phone: 0380 822102 SUMBA BARAT - Jl. Sudirman No. 5 Wai-kabubak - Sumba Barat. SUMBA TIMUR - Melan-thon, Jl. Eltari No. 41 Matawai - Sumba Timur, Ph. 081353977788, 085239118181. LABUAN BAJo - Martin Meotoda, Ph. 081338151744

OVERSEAS: MALAySIA - maxiINFo, 32-3-1, Ja-lan Medan Putra 4 Medan Putra Business Centre. off Jalan Damansara, 52200 Kuala Lumpur. AUS-TRALIA - Mr. Andre Wecklif Antonio. T, D/a 262 Wardel rd, Dulwich Hill-Sydney – NSW – 2203. Australia. THAILAND - Andrea Capucci, 94/23 Wichitsongkram Rd. Kathu, Phuket 83120, Ph. 076 249 688. WASHINgToN DC - Aria Salaka 19233 - Wheatfield Terrace - Gaitthersburg, MD 20879. CANADA - Johanne Dube, 152, rue Notre-Dame est, 8 etage, Montreal, Qc, Canada H2y 3p6. NETHERLAND - Vrijburglaan 72051 LA overveen +31 235253619. ITALy - Viaggi del Mappamondo, Viale Regina Margherita 270 - 00198, Rome, Ph. +39 06 48789200, Fax. +39 06 4815506. FRANCE - Europasia Commercial Agency, 15, rue Vallete 75005, Paris. gERMANy - Hattersheimerstr, 19, Frankfurt 60326. CZECH REPUBLIC - Mr. Miroslav Radakovic, Na Zamecke 6/409 140 000 Prague Czech Republic, Ph. +420 261219316 - 19, Fax. +261 219320. CUBA - Viaggi del mappamondo - Cuba, c/o Hotel Sevilla, Trocadero y Zuleta y Prado, 55, La Habana, Ph./Fax. +53 07 8669767. SLoVENIA - Miss. Polona Pirnat, c/o Kompas D.D, Prazakova 4, 1514, Ljubyana, Slovenia.

yudick Ariantyudickariant@gmail.com

CV. Paradiso Timur RayaJl. By Pass Ngurah Rai No. 620

Suwung, Denpasar-Bali-IndonesiaP/F: +62 361 - 727010

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4Page 3 - 4 focus

4Page 5 - 7 my indonesia

4Page 8 - 9 bali

4Page 13 bali

4Page 14 - 16 island explorer

4Page 17 - 19 nusantara

Vol. VII No. 10, 2012 3

Catherine Ramirez from Dominica has been granted the title of Miss Coffee International 2012 in the grand Final of

Miss Coffee 2012, which took place in Nusa Dua, Bali on Tuesday (23/10).

The runner up position was taken by Miss Coffee from Indonesia Bianca Beatrice and the second runner up goes to Claudy Jessy Blandon Romana from Columbia.

There were 14 countries participated in the contest that consisted both producing countries and consumers of coffee in the world, namely: Indonesia, Australia, guatemala, Kenya, Serbia, South Africa, Slovakia, Dominican Republic, Mol-dova, Myanmar, Columbia and Japan.

Each country sent one representative who also serves as the ambassador of the respective country. Australia was represented by Brooke Nash, Columbia by Claudy Jessy Blandon and Dominican Republic by Chaterine Ramirez. oth-er representatives are Johanna Acs (germany), guatamala (Ana Luisa Montufar Urrutia), Indo-nesia (Bianca Beatrice), Japan (Shizuka Ikeda), Kenya (Caroline Nalugala), Moldova (Nina Verdes), Myanmar (Noe Noe), Holland (Diah Jo-hanna Laberta Biemans), Serbia (Jovana Radu-lovic), Slovakia (Marika Casnochova) and South Africa (Zintle Mikateko Manzini).

“I’d like to thank the organizing Committee of Miss Coffee 2012. I’m proud and happy to be Miss Coffee International 2012,” said Catherine Remirez.

She also felt happy to be able to visit Indo-nesia, especially Bali. She said that the natural view, art and culture are amazing.

“Indonesia and Bali in particular is ‘the best.’ I’m happy to get the chance to visit the island. I’m amazed by the natural beauty and its rich art and culture that rooted strongly in the local com-munity of Bali,” she said.

Meanwhile, Chairperson of the Association of Indonesian Ambassador (ADI) Kuntari Nirwan-dar said that the event was organized for the first time and hopefully the same activity can be held in Indonesia next year.

“From the information received, among the participating countries, Indonesia is expected to be the host again next year,” she said.

The reason why Indonesia is willing to host the prestigious event, according to Kuntari, is because Indonesia is a coffee producing coun-try, the fourth biggest coffee exporter and coffee consumer.

She further said that coffee grows very well in Indonesia and has high quality with various fla-vors. This condition has made coffee into some-thing that has the power to be one of tourist at-tractions and not only the product, but also the coffee plantation, the life of the coffee farmer as well as the final product that becomes trading community.

The contestant from Indonesia has done her best that makes her deserves to hold the title of runner-up. She has shown her knowledge and performance during the contest maximally.

“Indonesian ambassador has shown her abil-ity maximally. The competitors are quite tough. Besides that, the Indonesian ambassador was a bit nervous during the question and answer ses-sion. It might be one of the points assessed so that she got the runner-up,” said Kuntari.

Dewi Motik Pramono, one of the judges, said that we should be grateful for what has been achieved by the Indonesian ambassador. “We’ve got a very good competitor there. Each gave good answers. Thanks god we can get the sec-ond position for the ambassador from Dominica is very good,” she said.

on that occasion, Lita Ayudia as the Director of organizer Committee hopes that the event

brings positive impact to coffee industry in Indo-nesia. Last year, coffee production in Indonesia was on the fourth position and currently is on the third for Columbia experienced failure in harvest-ing in 2010 and 2011. The first position is occu-pied by Brazil and followed by Vietnam on the second and Indonesia third.

Through this event Lita expects Indonesia to replace of Vietnam on the second position. “We want to make Indonesia the second for we do have great potential to be on the second position. our territory is much greater (than Vietnam),” she said.

Catherine - “Miss Coffee International 2012”

Catherine Ramirez from Dominica has been granted the title of Miss Coffee International 2012.

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Triboatton is 3 boat races that are held together for the first in Musi River to promote river tourism in Palembang. Musi Triboatton

2012 is an international sports tourism event conducted on the flow of the Musi River.

“This is the first time we held the event. Next, there will be rafting, canoeing and traditional boat jointed together in a race, “said Deputy Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy Sapta Nirwan-dar, who is also the initiator of the event. He said this in the launching of Musi Triboatton 2012 in Sapta Pesona Building, Jakarta, Tuesday (16/10) night.

The uniqueness of Musi Triboatton lies on the

combination of three water sports, namely white-water rafting, canoeing and dragon boat racing in one race. The race is divided into six stages with a total of 500 kilometers. “This sport can be a world icon, because it is the only race that in-volves three different water sports. We will make Musi River the best river tourism, “he said.

According to Sapta, through this event, Musi Triboatton can be unique sports tourism in Palem-bang. “This is the most unique in the world, we can introduce river tourism from here,” he said.

Nirwandar explained that Musi River has long been known as a center of civilization and trade. “But now the river color is brown and full of water

hyacinth. It cannot be compared with the rivers in Thailand, which are clean and nice to see. Riv-ers in neighboring countries have become part of river tourism, “he said.

He further said that Musi River is indeed already well known, but what he and his department want by holding “Musi Triboatton” is to promoting river tourism aspect of the Musi River.

“We try it with holding water sports ion the river. Musi River is famous for its upstream and down-stream part and we try to explore the middle part as well, “he said.

He said in developed countries, “river view” has become something expensive. The concept of “river view” is commonly used by hotels with rooms overlooking the river. “I challenge the ho-tels in South Sumatra to implement the concept of river view. We entrust these changes through Musi Triboatton, “he said.

He hopes that in two to three years, Musi River will be known for its river tourism and especially sports activities competed in “Musi Triboatton” that include white water rafting, canoeing and dragon boat.

Musi Triboatton 2012 will be held on November 26 to December 01, 2012. This competition com-bines white-water rafting, canoeing and dragon boat racing. The race consists of six stages that will go through Palembang, Empat Lawang Dis-trict, Musi Rawas, Musi Banyuasin and Banyua-sin district as far as 500 kilometers.

Musi Triboatton combines the elements of sports and tourism to promote tourism in South Sumatra through sports competition. The race is also completed with a visit to tourist attractions, traditional art performances and traditional culi-nary feast of South Sumatra.

This event will be followed by 10 teams from In-donesia, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Brunei Darussalam, Australia, Vietnam, New Zealand, Nepal, Cambodia, and Myanmar. Participants will compete by using the rules of international rowing and canoeing and rafting involving judges and supervisors of international paddle sports or-ganizations. (*)

4 Vol. VII No. 10, 2012West Indonesia4 focus4 Vol. VII No. 10, 2012

Promoting River Tourism through‘ Musi Triboatton 2012 ’

Musi Triboatton 2012 press conference.

Ampera bridge, the river musi Palembang province.

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5Vol. VIII No. 5, 2013

Caldera of Mount Batur Kintamani, Bangli (Bali) has been successfully established as the global geopark

Network by UNESCo. The decision was made at the 11th European geopark Conference (EgP) at Auroca geopark, Portugal on 20 September 2012.

Achyaruddin, Director of Special Interest, Conventions, Incentives and Events Tourism Development of the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy, said the name of Mount Batur is going to gain more popularity in the world. “Indonesia has finally succeeded to in-clude Mount Batur in the list after four years of attempt and we finally made it in Portugal. There were eleven geoparks proposed and only four are finally accepted, “said Achyar-uddin in Jakarta recently.

The four countries, said Achyaruddin, are two from Europe and two from Asia. Be-sides Indonesia, the other three countries are Spain, Hungary, and China. Achyarud-din revealed a four-year struggle to initiate Batur Caldera as global geopark. “It’s not as easy as turning the palm of the hand. Japan has been trying to do this for seven years and has not been successful yet. They were screaming hysterically, crying because they do not get in, “he said.

Achyaruddin revealed the development of tourism in these areas by the government in this case Kemenparekraf focused on sus-tainable tourism (sustainable tourism). “The definition of tourism is the movement of peo-ple. If Batur a global geopark and commu-nicated to the world, more and more people come in, “he said.

Increasing number of foreign tourists who come is expected to boost the economy of the local community as well as the preserva-tion of the environment and the local culture of Batur.

Caldera of Mount Batur is one of six candi-dates proposed by Indonesia to UNESCo to be included in the list of geopark. The other candidates are Lake Toba, Merangin, Mount Rinjani, Raja Ampat, and Sewu karst region. one special thing about the caldera of Mount Batur is that it is 5,000-year-old surged sedi-ment. “Surged sediment is far more complex than the sediments at Mount Krakatau,” he added.

over the next 4 years, which is until 20 September 2016, the caldera of Mount Batur will be assessed by UNESCo based on vari-ous indicators. If Mout Batur as one of the proposed geopark is not managed properly, then it will be eliminated from ggN mem-bership. “one of the assessment indicators is educational aspect. UNESCo will assess how the geopark introduced to the schools, to the students, as well as used for research, “said Achyaruddin.

With the inclusion of the caldera of Mount Batur in the UNESCo global geopark Network, the name is now Batur global geopark.

Meanwhile, the geological Department of the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resourc-es Sukhyar said that Indonesia have many calderas and 127 volcanoes. However, Lake Batur is the second most unique caldera af-ter Lake Toba. “It has easy access, therefore we can see the entire caldera and its unique-ness just from one point, “he said.

In addition, the local government Bangli who is very proactive has been taken into consideration by the central government in

proposing Mount Batur Caldera to UNESCo. “We’ve identified 33 geoparks in Indonesia. But without proactive effort from the local government, it is impossible to do that es-pecially if a caldera involves more than one regency. It requires active involvement from the local government and the local communi-ties, “he explained.

In the meantime, Bangli Regent I Made gianyar hopes that Batur Caldera becomes one of ggN and can improve the economy of the surrounding communities of Batur Cal-dera. In addition, it is also expected that the local communities can be better educated about environmental conservation and utili-zation of Lake Batur.

Batur global geopark is located around the active volcano in northeastern of Bali, between the two large volcanic calderas, formed about 22 thousand years ago. This volcano is part of the Pacific ring of fire and formed part of a long line of similar active volcanoes in Indonesia. The area is rich with macro and micro volcanic soil formation ele-ments formed due to volcanic eruptions thou-sands of years ago. (*)

In the list of global geopark Network, Mount Batur goes International

Deputy Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy

Sapta Nirwandar stated that Indonesia’s tourism promotion towards tourists in Southeast Asia continues to be encouraged to boost the target of tourist arrivals 2012 as many as 8 million people. Therefore, various easiness and events are designed to bring more tourists from ASEAN countries.

one of these events is the Indonesia Tourism and Cre-ative Economy Fair (ITCEF) held in Jakarta International Convention Center on 19-21. “ITCEF 2012 focused on Southeast Asian tourists. This is the best means of buying and selling activities among the tourism industry in our neighboring countries, “said Nirwandar.

ITCEF 2012 was held by ARDI (Indonesian Tourism Promotion Board) with the theme of “creative tourism”. The event was not only pre-senting the potential of tour-ism in Indonesia, but also showing the creative production of industrial players in the regions of Indonesia.

“The exhibition is good for it can be a place to exhibit the creativity of various parties. In addi-tion, prospective buyers can compare one prod-uct with another such as Batik, which has wide range of varieties, “said Sapta.

In this event, buyers are expected not only to purchase products during the exhibition, but also continue it in the long run. “It would even be much better if the purchase can continue the economy

chain so that the creative economy of our country can continue to grow,” he continued.

Through ITCEF, Sapta expects that the cre-ative economy entrepreneurs particularly in tour-ism sector can get new acquaintances in tourism business. So the creative economy and tour-ism in Indonesia can be known and recognized worldwide.

government of Indonesia has continued mak-ing efforts to encourage tourism and creative

economy to grow and develop. one of the efforts is through the provision of capital provided by the National Program for Community Empowerment (PNPM), training and various exhibitions.

This is done in an effort to increase the num-ber of tourists coming to Indonesia. For 2013, the government continues to focus on tourists from Southeast Asia. It is expected the number of tour-ists from the region can reach the number of 3-4 million tourists.

Meanwhile, for the farther region, China is the target market to contribute tourist visit to Indone-sia. Middle East region has become one of the areas significantly experience the increase in tourist visit. But unfortunately, the culture is still an obstacle to continue to increase the number of tourists coming from that region.

Currently, the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy focus on developing seven special in-terest tourism areas. The seven special interests include historical and cultural, shopping and culi-nary, nature tourism and eco-tourism, sports tour-ism and recreation, cruises, fitness and health, as well as Meeeting, Incentive, Conference and Exhibition (MICE). (*)

ITCEF 2013 Focuses on Attracting ASEAN Tourists

Asia is projected to become the locomotive of growth of tourism business in the next few years and the growing frequency of travel to Asian countries

rose in an average of 9% per year. United Nations World Tourism organization (UNWTo) noted that tourism is becoming one of the leading business sectors of Asian countries that are still growing progressively amidst the sluggish world economy. Until the first half of this year, approximately 467 million global travelers have visited tourist areas in Asia.

The increase in tourist visits to Southeast Asia this year has raised to 13% compared to the previous year. Many companies that play a role in the tourism indus-try have gained the highest profit compared to previous years.

To map the potential business next year, a number of players in tourism industry have attended the Trav-elRave 2012, which was held in Singapore on october 16 to 19. The event also strengthened the Singapore’s reputation as a hub of the tourism industry in Asia.

According to Assistant Chief Executive Industry De-velopment Singapore Tourism Board Neeta Lachman-das, as quoted from bisnis.com, revealed that industry players need to take advantage of the TravelRave as a momentum to explore business opportunities together. “Integrated business opportunities are wide open. The tourism industry in Asia is growing very encouragingly. Employers should be able to take advantage of this op-portunity, “he said.

Neeta also said that the growth in the number of middle class and rising income sources contributed to active activities of the domestic tourism industry and re-gional Asia-Pacific region. According to data from Aba-cus International Report, the number of middle class tourists in Asia is expected to grow to 2.5 billion people by 2030. (*)

467 Million Tourists Predicted to Visit Asia

Plaque geopark from UNESCo

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Sapta Nirwandar, Deputy Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy opening ITCEF in Jakarta International Convention Center

6 Vol. VIII No. 5, 2013

Indonesia will host two major events in 2013, namely the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) and the Miss World.

This event will also be used to attract more tourists to Indonesia.

Minister of Tourism and Creative Econo-my Mari Elka Pangestu said that next year the ministry is going to launch the year of MICE (meetings, incentive, convention, and exhibition). There will be many meetings and international events, both related to the government or a particular event.

“APEC and Miss World will be held next year; it is good for investment and will in-vited many foreign tourists to come. The second event will be used to achieve the

government’s target of nine million tourists next year. This year, the target is eight mil-lion tourists, “she said.

Meanwhile, Coordinating Minister for the Economy Hatta Rajasa ensures Indonesia is ready to host the APEC next year, both main programs and the additional program such as the ministerial meeting.

“Indonesia will use the event to promote investment, in addition to tourism. The me-dia center is ready as well as infrastructure and facilities, “said Hatta.

He said that the airport improvement is also on track, the highway above sea level and the underpass in Bali as the venue is also ready before october next year. APEC

2013 theme is Resilience Asia Pacific as the engine of world economic growth. (*)

Welcoming APEC and Miss World, Indonesia to Target 2013 as The year of MICE

TripAdvisor via a press release revealed the findings of a study that analyzed the average judgment of the individual tourist regarding accommodation facilities in

the world. According to the study, the average rating given by travelers on accommodation facilities in Indonesia has consistently exceeded the average world ratings. Indonesia got the score of 4.15 out of 5. This figure is above the world average score, which is 4.01. Accommodation in Indonesia also consistently gets high scores in terms of cleanliness, service and Quality of sleeping.

The results also showed the average assessment rating for hotels in Indonesia compared to the B & B (a small hotel which only provides bed and breakfast facilities). The re-sults showed that the B & B has a slightly better service compared to hotel, with the averages score of 4.13 for B & B and 4.10 for the hotel.

“In the last ten years there has been a sharp increase in the number of tourists who wrote a review about their stay. These findings indicate that the information that is now available not only for the benefit of other travelers, but also for the industry, “said Christine Petersen, president of Tri-pAdvisor for Business.

Christine said that the owners of hotels and B & B seem to pay close attention to the input they receive and use it to improve their services. (*)

Accommodation in Indonesia – The Best in the World

Sail Komodo will be held next year, around the 7th or 15th September 2013. In addition to promote the Komodo dragon, the event is designed to accelerate

development in the province. “In September, 7 or 15 September 2013, it will be conducted in the province, of course close to Komodo Island, a place in Labuan Bajo,” said Coordinating Minister for People’s Welfare Agung Laksono, while attending a ministerial coordination meeting on Sail Komodo, in Jakarta recently.

According to him, the implementation of Sail Komodo is expected to be accelerated momentum of development in the province, such as education and health. “The ultimate goal is the accelerated development of NTT for the province is still left behind in many sectors including education and health, “he said.

The infrastructure such as new hotels, docks, and airports will be built to support the Sail Komodo 2013. “There are new hotels, docks, and airport that currently is able to be landed by Boeing aircraft,” he explained.

Previously, a similar event the Sail Morotai was organized by government in June-September in North Maluku. (*)

Sail Komodo NTT Held in September 2013

Lion Air will optimize efforts in exploring the market in eastern Indonesia with its newest full services carrier, Batik Air. Corporate Secretary of PT Lion Air, Adithya

Simanjuntak said that Lion Air is targeting Batik Air to start operating next year and for the early stage, eastern Indonesia routes will be chosen that includes Ujungpandang (Makassar), Jayapura, and Manado.

“Batik Air is targeting the business segment or upper-middle class with advance services including Wi-Fi and ex-phones that allow passengers to communicate online during the flight,” he said.

He further said that the market potential of Eastern Indo-nesia is still very wide open so Batik Air will operate to serve domestic routes in the early stages, including the route of Eastern Indonesia. “The potential of eastern Indonesia’s great, for our own Lion Air already has several routes to Eastern Indonesia, including Raja Ampat and Labuan Bajo. So far, we plan to continue to improve the route to those areas, “he said. (*)

Batik Air Ready to Explore Eastern Indonesia’s Market

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Lampung host for the second time the Tourism Indonesia Mart and Expo (TIME). According to Director

of Domestic Promotion of the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy (Kemenparekraf), M. Faried Lampung is one of the provinces in Sumatera that is trusted to host the TIME.

“Previously, the approach of TIME has been more focused to Eastern Indonesia such as Bali and big cities in Java. Now we have it in Sumatra, “he said in Bandar Lam-pung, Lampung province, recently.

government, in this case the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy, Faried said, wish that in 2013, TIME remains held on the island of Sumatra. He said there are several reasons related to the selection of the island of Sumatra to host the event.

“In terms of access, Sumatera has al-ready had six entrances of air transport namely Banda Aceh, Medan, Pekanbaru, Padang, Palembang, and Batam. Those six entraces are associated with ASEAN, par-ticularly Singapore and Kuala Lumpur, “said Faried.

However, international connections can be built by making the Singapore and Kuala Lumpur as a hub. In addition, said Faried, the island of Sumatra becomes strategic destination in Indonesia not only because of the access, but also the availability of facilities such as accommodation. “In terms of attractions, there are elements of culture and nature as well as artificial recreational attractions in Sumatera that can be offered as main tourist destinations in Sumatera,” he said.

Therefore, he hoped that TIME as one of the tourism markets can take up a position not only to introduce Indonesia’s tourism product but also introduces Indonesia as a viable destination in the international tour-ism arena.

on the same occasion, Lampung Provin-cial Secretary, Berlian Tihang said the pro-vincial government of Lampung is willing to host TIME in order make Lampung tourism

more widely known in the world. Moreover, continued Berlian, Lampung has several leading tourist destinations especially ma-rine tourism such as Tanjung Setia that has been visited by travelers from all over the world.

In addition, there are also other beautiful tourist destinations like Kiluan Bay, which is famous for its dolphins. He also hopes that tourism industry could improve the econo-my of Lampung.

Head of Culture and Tourism of the prov-ince of Lampung gatot Budi Utomo said that TIME could open the network between the travel agents and the hospitality industry in Lampung with overseas tourism industry. “The branding of Lampung is ‘Exotic Mar-velous Nature and Adventure’. our tourist destinations are more to the nature, such as the Way Kambas, Krakatau, and the Ki-luan Bay. We are more into the adventure, “he said.

Meanwhile, the Chairwoman of the Steer-ing Committee of TIME 2012 Meity Robot said we hoped TIME to be held in Lampung, so that Lampung people could get input in promoting the region. The increase in the activities of tourism industry in Lampung has made infrastructure becomes very im-portant.

TIME 2012, said Meity, is followed by buyers, which are the tourism industries from foreign countries like the United States, Brazil, germany, England, Canada, the Netherlands, Italy, Mexico, Australia, Hungary, Norway, South Africa, Israel, Iran, Romania, Thailand, United Arab Emirates, Singapore, Bahrain, the Philippines, China, and Malaysia. “They are potential buyers and can promote Indonesia, not only Lam-pung,” said Meity.

Meanwhile, Ika Nazaruddin from Pacto Convex as the organizer of TIME 2012 men-tioned that the temporary data indicate that the five largest buyers are India, Singapore, China, the Netherlands, Australia, Malaysia, and the United Arab Emirates.

While the sellers consisting of Indonesian

tourism players come from various prov-inces including Jakarta, Banten, West Java, Central Java, East Java, yogyakarta, Bali, Bengkulu, Lampung, West Sumatra, South Sumatra, North Sumatra, Riau, Sulawesi Southeast, Central Sulawesi, West Ka-limantan, Central Kalimantan, West Nusa Tenggara and East Nusa Tenggara.

TIME could be an excellent business to business meeting between Indonesia and foreign tourism industry. Thus, in the event Indonesian tourism players as the sellers can promote their products and services to foreign tourism industry acting as a buyer.

Last year, TIME was also held in Lampung and recorded transactions worth US$ 15.7 million. The host of TIME is rotated to vari-ous regions in Indonesia. Each region has the opportunity to host twice and maximally promote tourism potentials in their areas to the international world. In addition to buy-ers, there were also foreign journalists from various countries of Europe and Asia.

TIME was first held in 1994. For 10 years, it was held in Jakarta. After that, some areas get a turn to host TIME namely yogyakarta, Makassar, Lombok, and Lampung.

2013, TIME Will be held in West Sumatera

West Sumatra will be the host of the Tour-ism Indonesia Mart and Expo (TIME) 2013. This was revealed by Director of Domestic Promotion of Ministry of Tourism and Cre-ative Economy M Faried.

“In 2013, the host would be West Suma-tra. West Sumatra as a candidate to host TIME 2013 has the spirit to promote West Sumatera as tourist destination as well as place the province in a strategic position, “said Faried.

He added that the city of Padang as the capital of West Sumatra province will be the entrance of foreign tourists to the island of Sumatra. In addition, said Faried, the gov-ernment is encouraging the island of Suma-tra as a strategic positioning of tourism.(*)

TIME to Promote Sumatra’s Tourism

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M. Faried - Director of Domestic Promotion of the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy (Kemenparekraf)

7Vol. VIII No. 5, 2013

Awanadi Aswinbawa finally completed his leadership in ASITA (Indonesia Association of Tours and Travel Agent) NTB. Although

many predicted that there would be tough discussion in the Regional Meeting (Musda), finally everything run well. Agus Mulyadi was elected as the new chairperson of ASITA NTB replacing Awanadi.

Being a leader, according to Awanadi, is not only identical to being a “leader.” Although he is no longer the chairperson of ASITA NTB, he will continue giving his contribution to the develop-ment of NTB tourism in the future. He wants to encourage his colleagues in ASITA to have more courage to lead ASITA NTB.

Awam stated firmly that even though he does lead ASITA anymore, it does not mean that he will leave ASITA. “Anytime ASITA needs my help, I’d love to help. He said that he likes more when there are new leaders that will lead ASITA NTB. “The most important is the leader should not only talk a lot, but he should take action,” said Awam.

Awam, who is also the Head of Regional Tour-ism Promotional Board (BPPD) NTB, said that the future challenges that the new chairperson of ASITA NTB will deal with would be tougher. Therefore, he expects Agus Mulyadi to be ready for those challenges and make ASITA NTB better than before.

one of the challenges is people’s expectation

towards ASITA, which is getting bigger, as well as the expectation of ASITA members to the new board. Currently, DPD ASITA has already had an office, which is still in the finalization stage. The new chairperson will later budget the maintaining cost for the office.

The information technology that advances rapidly according to Awam is one of the chal-lenged for ASITA in the future. The advancement of technology has enabled customers or tourists to connect directly with service providers such as airlines, hotels and others. Thus, ASITA should be creative and innovative in creating packages and new services deserved to sell.

The next ASITA leader should be able to read the changes; otherwise ASITA will ‘fade away’. The implementation of ASEAN Free Trade Area in 2015, which enables human resources from ASEAN countries can freely work in NTB, will crate tighter competition. ASITA should be ready for this by preparing high quality human resourc-es in the field of tourism.

ASITA should also be an organization that determine and influence tourism industry in the region. “Entrepreneurs should give more contri-bution to the local government and become the economic power that can be counted by the gov-ernment and the partners,” said Awam.

Awamnadi also explained three main points that should become the focus of ASITA NTB in

the future, namely human resources develop-ment, product development and marketing de-velopment. To make Lombok-Sumbawa as world tourist destination, from now on, we have to think about optimal service started from the develop-ment of professional human resources in the field of tourism.

In terms of product development, ASITA should serve as a complete travel agent that creates cre-ative tourism products. “Thus, human resources should be trained and ASITA can play its role there,” he said.

In marketing development, ASITA should pro-mote tourist destinations in Lombok-Sumbawa comprehensively and synergize with other par-ties. Besides that, information technology should be used for online marketing, online promotion and many more. “These three points are real and we all should be ready to fight together,” said Awam.

Being the leader of ASITA, someone is ex-pected to be the agent of change and makes Lombok-Sumbawa as proper destination to visit. Improper infrastructure and accessibility are two things that become problem in some tourist des-tinations in Lombok or Sumbawa. ASITA should work hard to make those places worth to sell as tourist destinations.

Awanadi : Be the ‘’Agent of Change’’

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Bali8 Vol. VIII No. 5, 2013

Accor, the largest international hotel operator in Asia-Pacific and Indonesia, announces the opening of ibis Styles

Bali Kuta Circle, the second newly-built ibis Styles property in Bali. the hotel is centrally located in the bustling Simpang Siur area, next to Bali galleria Shopping

Mall, only 15 minutes from the Ngurah Rai International Airport and 20 minutes from the sophisticated and funky Kuta, Legian and Seminyak areas.

This newly-built hotel will specifically cater to the dis-cerning needs of business and leisure travelers, with its 191 modern rooms including standard rooms and family suites. Designed for comfort, the bedrooms feature trendy and modern interior design and complimentary Wi-Fi internet access. In addition,

the hotel is designed with sustainability in mind, with environmentally friendlier fea-tures such as low energy light bulbs, wa-ter saving fixtures, recycling facilities and a linen reuse program.

Ibis Styles Bali Kuta Circle features an

all-day dining restaurant, a swimming pool and pool bar, a fitness center, a Kids Club, an internet corner, meeting rooms which can accommodate small-to-medium events and private functions of up to 100 people, as well as a relaxing lounge.

“We recognized early on that ibis Styles was a great concept and would have tre-mendous consumer appeal. Combined with the strong growth in tourism in Bali, we are optimistic that ibis Styles Bali Kuta Circle will attract economy business and leisure travellers,” said Edgar Voortjes, general Manager of ibis Styles Bali Kuta Circle.

Ibis Styles Bali Kuta Circle has released a promotional rate of IDR 500,000 net per room per night plus taxes, including all-you-can-eat buffet breakfast for 2 persons and free WiFi internet access, for booking and staying until 20 December 2012.

For more information about the hotel and guest rate offers, please visit www.accorho-tels.com/8118.

Accor launches ibis Styles Bali Kuta Circle Great location, first-rate facilities and a concern for the environment make the hotel

the smart choice for visitors to Bali

On September 18, 2012, BEST WESTERN Resort Kuta (BWRK) celebrated its third anniversary. Although fairly new in hotel

industry, but there is no doubt that the four-star chain hotel is ready to compete. Celebrating its third anniversary as well as an expression of thanks and gratitude, BWRK held a series of event with the theme of “Together in Simplicity.” The peak of the celebration was held on September 29, 2012 at the area around of BWRK swimming pool. The event was attended by all employees, management, BWRK colleagues, and the local village chief.

The celebration was opened by a Balinese tra-ditional dance and acoustic bands. There were also the giving-out of door prizes, rewards to department and the best employee, and various games that had been held sometimes ago to en-liven the celebration and boost the enthusiasm of the employees.

“The 3rd Anniversary was deliberately held in simple atmosphere and more focused on inter-preting the togetherness, which fits our theme

“Together in Simplicity” and is expected along with the increasing age, BWRK continues grow-ing and becomes one of the best hotels in In-donesia,” Tommy B. Santoso general Manager of BWRK said this in his speech. one week in a row, BWRK held various events started from the cutting of cake and praying, social activities (CSR) in the village in Klungkung by providing the packages of groceries to 150 families and scholarships to students with academic achieve-ments to pursue a study in Resort Kuta Academy. In addition, there were also various games held on Patra Beach to enliven the 3rd Anniversary of BWRK.

of course the excitement is not the main point to be achieved in this event, but the moment and spirit of togetherness is the essence and main objective of holding the event. Happy 3rd Anni-versary to BEST WESTERN Kuta Resort, hope-fully becomes more successful, developed, and continues to be a hotel that provides the best service.

To further boost the performance of SoEs, recently the Minister of State owned Enterprises (SoEs) Dahlan

Iskan visited gIK project to monitor the construction progress of grand Ina Kuta Hotel, which now has been completed above 95%.

on that occasion, Dahlan Iskan inspected almost all buildings in the project and spent one night in one of the Mock-Up Rooms as well as testing the meeting room facilities by having a SoEs coordination meeting in gIK room, which was attended by heads of SoE Bali regional.

According to the President Director of PT Hotel Indonesia Natour, Intan Abdams Katoppo, the project is targeted to be com-pleted in 2012, so that the operation can be done in the same year.

Currently, PT Hotel Indonesia Natour is revitalizing its hotels and hotels that have been revitalized will become grand Inna. Now there is one hotel, which construction has been completed, grand Inna Muara in Padang. Two hotels are still under construc-tion, namely grand Inna Kuta and grand Inna Putri Bali in Nusa Dua, Bali. Inna Hotel group has 12 hotels in some cities in Indone-sia, namely: Inna Bali (4 hotels), Inna Sim-pang (Surabaya), Inna Tretes (Pasuruan), Inna garuda (yogyakarta), Inna Samudra Beach (Pelabuhan Ratu), Inna Dharma Deli (Medan), Inna Parapat (Parapat), grand

Inna Muara (Padang), grand Inna Kuta and grand Inna Putri Bali. As for the number of hotel rooms in Inna network reaches as many as 1993 rooms. For further informa-

tion, Please contact : Ira Agustini -Market-ing Communications Manager Email; mar-com@grandinnakuta.com / pr@innakuta-beach.com

BEST WESTERN Resort Kuta to Celebrate its 3rd Anniversary “Together In Simplicity”

Ministry of SoE to Stay in Mock-Up Room of gIK Project

The 6th Regional Meeting (Musda) of ASITA NTB was closed on october 30, 2012 at Santika Hotel, Mataram (Lombok). Agus Mulyadi has successfully

won the election and defeated other two candidates Syaifudin Zohri and Abdurrahim. The election process was conducted through a close-vote in two rounds.

“Let’s unite to make ASITA as the center organization of tour and travel agencies, which increase the welfare of the members,” said Agus Mulyadi, SE in his speech after elected as the new chairperson of ASITA NTB for the pe-riod of 2012 – 2016.

Agus Mulyadi, who is also the Head of the Regional Tourism Promotional Bureau (BPPD) Mataram city as well as Vice Secretary of Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) NTB, said that he will manage the organization of ASITA NTB. According to him, ASITA in the future should establish more synergize with other parties, including the government in developing tourism sector. One thing that he will fight for is the forma-tion of Regional Regulation (PP) about ASITA.

“Thank you for the supports. I ask for your prayers. Hopefully, we can work together to promote tourism in NTB,” said Agus who is also a lecturer in Mataram Tourism Institute.

Agus Mulyadi was born in Ranggagata village in Cen-tral Lombok on August 2, 1967. He added that currently, he and the team of Travel Pattern Draft Preparation are mapping tourism destinations in NTB (West Nusa Teng-gara). The mapping aims to determine the real condition of tourist destinations located in the eastern tip to western tip of the province. The condition includes road facilities, toilet, electricity and many more. “The mapping serves as the basis for the improvement of tourist destinations in the future,” Agus said.

The 6th Regional Meeting of ASITA NTB 2012 was of-ficially opened by Head of Culture and Tourism Bureau of NTB and attended by Chairperson of DPD ASITA NTB pe-riod 2008 – 1012 and Chairperson of DPP ASITA.

Agus Mulyadi – New Chairperson of ASITA NTB 2012 - 2016

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Bali 9Vol. VIII No. 5, 2013

nett/person/night

10 Vol. VII No. 5, 2012

911Vol. VII No. 8, 2012

Aston International celebrated the grand opening of the favehotel Seminyak – Bali

The favehotel Seminyak opened its doors late last year but just recently completed its final development stage with the completion of a small multipurpose conference center making it the only hotel in Seminyak to combine ultra mod-ern budget accommodations with equally modern low cost meeting and seminar rooms.

The hotel’s grand opening was celebrated with a casual and fun party, the latest tunes delivered by some of Bali’s most talented DJs and traditional and modern dance perfor-mances including cocktail juggling and a fire dance demon-strations by the hotels bar keepers. The event drew a crowd of several hundred members of Bali’s travel trade communi-ty, senior travel media representatives and regular favehotel

patrons from the hotel and its sister properties in Denpasar and Petitenget.

The favehotel Seminyak offers 251 guest rooms and suites and is frequently booked to capacity enjoying a loyal following amongst young and predominantly Indonesian and Australian travelers who appreciate the hotels trademark edgy design, low prices and prime location in the center of one of Bali’s hippest areas.

favehotel Seminyak’s general Manager, Mr. Komang Ar-tana, said “with this joyful celebration we wanted to thank Bali’s travel agents and tour operators and our loyal guests for making the fave Seminyak’s first year of operation an overwhelming success and open doors to new opportuni-ties of cooperation by presenting them with what is prob-ably Seminyak’s most convenient and best value meeting venue”.

FAVEHOTEL SEMINYAK CELEBRATES GRAND OPENING

HARRISSIMo Cafe’ & Lounge at HARRIS Hotel & Residences Riverview Kuta held media gathering called “getting closer” to introduce their new signature menu called SMoKEy

PIZZA on october 31st 2012. As unique as its name, the shape and presentation of this dish is also unique. Served in 40cm square tile, this square shape pizza has a hole in the middle where the true smokes come out as its serving climax.

“We try our best to be innovative both in product and in our service, still stay in the line of HARRIS Hotel’s concept: “Simple, Unique, Friendly” HARRISSIMo Cafe’ & Lounge’s specialty which is Italian Fusion, we create SMoKEy PIZZA for a different culinary experience for our guests” said Mrs. Marija TJIE, the general Man-ager of HARRIS Hotel & Residences Riverview Kuta.

“Smokey PIZZA comes in 4 unique choices: Simply Sweet, Uniquely Hot, Friendly Balinese and Smiley Aussie. Each variant designed to give you different taste experience that will pamper

your tongue. you can also design your own Pizza or pastas on your mood, you name it we will cook it “the Executive Chef I.B. Wahyu said.

The lounge itself sets in a cozy ambience, with sofas and big pil-lows. green banana plantations lay as its view and the air breeze give a fresh feeling as it is open air. Right in the middle of its white square bar, stands a classic pizza wood fire where they cook the Smokey Pizza. The bar serves HARRISSIMo’s signature cocktail and moctail with specific names as 100% HARRISSIMO, spirit of HARRIS, riverview Summer Haze and many more.

HARRISSIMo Cafe’ & Lounge has a direct access from Jl. Raya Kuta (in front of Mandara SPA) to allow non-staying quest to have a comfortable direct entrance.

In this occasion players (specific names for HARRIS Hotel’s staff) also perform fashion show, fire dance and HARRIS MOVE in the phenomenal gangnam Style version.

“Getting closer” – SMOKEY PIZZA at HARRISSIMO Cafe & Lounge

Aston International has just had a surprise for the market by launching its newest brand “NEO Hotel by Aston” and at the same time also has confirmed that over 20 NEO’s are under construction.

The latest NEo concept is planned to introduce a new design concept of a comfortable ho-tel and sensational. Designed in a modern contemporary style according to the latest trends in hospitality design, Hotel NEo offers well-arranged open space, which creates relaxing atmosphere and revitalized in a stylish yet affordable newly built hotels and resorts.

“Consumers today expect the economy class but well-designed, attractive hotel that can be accepted would be four or five-star hotels” said Norbert Vas, Vice President of Sales & Marketing Aston International.

Norbert added NEO will first be opened by the end of November 2012 in the resort area of Bali, Legian followed by the opening of five NEO in Bali, and six in Jakarta and surrounding areas as well in the secondary and tertiary cities throughout Indonesia, including yogya-karta, Medan, Surabaya, Makassar and Balikpapan.

The new brand is described as a “new and trendy”, the picture posted on the site, www.NeoHotels.com, in some ways illustrates the aesthetic look of the latest fashion of Prada and others. The customer expects Aston “brings back the concept of sexy” and flattering NEO hotel as the hotel that will be liked by the teenagers and parents of y generation. (*)

Aston’s New Brand, NEO Hotel

Bali 13Vol. VIII No. 5, 2013

Bali Tourism Development Corporation (BTDC) Nusa Dua organized Nusa Dua Fiesta 2012. The annual event

has the theme of “Segara Lelangunan” which in Bahasa Indonesia means enjoying the beauty of the sea. Through this theme BTDC would like to invite all of us to care and understand the importance of coastal and marine ecosystem conservation to support sustainable marine tourism.

Nusa Dua Fiesta 2012 was opened on 2 – 5 November 2012 at Peninsula Island, Nusa Dua Tourism Area. Various activities would be held. Here are some highlights of Nusa Dua Fiesta 2012:

• Launching of Kresna-Arjuna the highest art sculpture

• Indonesia Music Expo (IMEX)• Bali Culinary Challenge 2012• Science Film Festival• Save Nusa Dua Coral Reef• Underwater Photo Exhibition• Fun Bike• Sustainable Seafood Workshop• Traditional Art PerformanceThe performance of several world musi-

cians collaborating traditional and modern music (World Music) was held in cooperation with musicolo-gist Franky Raden. He is known to be successfully handling na-tional and international scale music performances such as Tembang Harmony with Fariz RM, Dwiki Dharmawan, Iwan Hasan, Barry Likumahuwa, Iwa k, Renny Djayusman, Andi Rif and Dira Sugandi. The musical performances from regions in Indonesia consisted of Modero (Central Sulawesi), Nyamphea (Bali), Ayu Laksmi & Swara Semesta (Bali) and DJ Nino (Jakarta). International musi-cians performed in Nusa Dua Fiesta 2012 included Kevin Brigg feats Ka Mau (USA), Ron Reeves (Australia), Kailash Kokopelli (Switzerland), Clio Karabellias (greece), Anallo Capuano (Italy), Supa Kalulu (Africa) and Pejman (Iran) that led by Leonardo Pavkovic (mu-sic Promoter) from New york.

The Underwater Photo Exhi-bition carried out the theme of UNDERWATER PARADISE: The Beauty of Marine Biodi-

versity’s Nusa Dua and Beyond Bali. The exhibition featured the works of underwa-ter photography. They are the best photos taken by the national and international un-derwater photographers such as William Tan (Singapore), Indra Swari Wonowidjojo, Hendra Tan, Sangut Santoso and Adrianto Mulia (Indonesia). Those photos were taken from various diving locations in Indonesia such as Tulamben, Manado, Raja Ampat, Weh Island, gorontalo, Komodo and sev-eral favorite diving spots. In addition to the promotional purpose of underwater beauty of Indonesia, Underwater Photo Exhibition also provides education to the public on the importance of marine conservation.

For the program of Caring for Environ-ment for children, BTDC worked together with goethe-Institut organizing a Science Film Festival with the theme of “AIR” (water). The festival aims to show that science and technology can be communicated in ways that educate and entertain, contributes to the development of science and technology communication infrastructure, and to sup-port science and technology education for children in Indonesia.

In addition, Nusa Dua Fiesta 2012 also presented “Bali Culinary Challenge 2012” and “Workshop on Sustainable Seafood” in cooperation with Indonesia Chef Associa-tion (ICA).

The opening of Nusa Dua Fiesta 2012 was accompanied by the inauguration of Kresna & Arjuna Statue with the height of 17 meters. It is the new mascot of Nusa Dua tourism area that will reinforce the commit-ment of BTDC to maintain the cultural and environmental tourism.

The programs held in Nusa Dua Fiesta 2012 are expected to provide different col-ors compared to the previous years so that it could attract more tourists, especially for-eign tourists.

The aim of Nusa Dua Fiesta 2012 is to promote the imaging of Bali and Nusa Dua tourism area as tourist destination that is safe, comfortable and worth to visit. It is also BTDC’s form of concern towards the sustainability of tourism on Bali in particular, and Indonesia in general.

Nusa Dua Fiesta 2012 was held by BTDC in cooperation with the entire components of tourism industry in Nusa Dua. This event has become the pioneer of other similar events such as Kuta Carnival, Sanur Festi-val and Ubud Festival.

In addition to improving the image of the area, Nusa Dua Fiesta 2012 also serves as promotional event for domestic products. Art performance by Balinese and Indonesian artists is expected to be the instrument in the development of creativity to create high quality art products.

In the implementation of Nusa Dua Fiesta, each year has different character and differ-ent theme. Each theme describes natural beauty of god’s creation, which is very im-pressive and gives deep meaning for people or known in Balinese language as “Lelan-gunan.”

The themes of Nusa Dua Fiesta are manifested in the form of art performances designed in the form of dances, sendratari (musical, dance and drama performance), beautiful art products and other activities, which are expected to attract tourists to come to Nusa Dua Fiesta.

To further increase tourist visit via cruise ship to Bali, PELINDo III establishes a joint cooperation with the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy and the

Ministry of Transportation. The signing of the partnership and synergy between the

three parties were conducted in Kuta, Bali in the presence of related parties from the Customs Office, Cruise Opera-tor,

After the signing, general Manager Pelindo III Benoa Denpasar Iwan Sabatini said that the cooperation is es-tablished in order to further develop the harbors visited by cruise ships, especially Benoa Harbor.

“The cooperation is to attract more foreign tourists com-ing to Indonesia by cruise ship,” said Iwan in the Workshop Cruise in Kartika Chandra Hotel, Kuta, last week.

Within the framework of the cooperation, said Iwan, all parties have strong commitment and responsibility to work together to help boosting tourism activities in the country, especially the cruise tourism.

In order to attract more foreign tourist visits by cruise, each related party, which include the Customs Office, Cruise operator and Immigration were present in the event to know more about the service of cruise tourism.

“yes, we hope the Customs provides easiness in the Customs service, and the bureaucracy related to Immigra-tion will not be complicated,” said Iwan.

Pelindo III Benoa is also working with other parties to serve foreign tourists through the cruise in Tanah Ampo Harbor in Karangasem regency.

Iwan Sabatini said that in 2012 Pelindo III is targeting 38 to 40 cruise visits to Bali.

PELINDo with 2 Ministries to Bring Cruises to Bali

NUSA DUA FIESTA 2013gREEN ToURISM “SEgARA LELANgUNAN “

Ministry of Education and Culture held grand Strategy Meeting, a forum to gather aspiration and input involving community

participation, academics, youth organizations in Bali from various fields such as economics and business, media, gender and environment. The meeting held in Santika Hotel Nusa Dua, Bali on october 22, 2012 was opened by Deputy Minister of Education and Culture Wiendu Nuryanti and presented some figures from the field of culture as keynote speakers such as Jean Couteau, Taufik Rahzen, Heddy Shri Ahimsa Putra, Ni Luh Ketut Suryani and I Wayan Ardika.

Wiendu Nuryanti said that the grand Strategy Meeting is a form of special preparation welcom-ing WCF 2013 by gathering aspiration and input from various parties. Further, the meeting also discussed about the strategic aspects in the de-velopment of culture and finalization of themes and sub-themes that will be proposed in the World Culture for Development Forum (WFC) – “Bali Forum” 2013. It is also expected to be a good communication program to achieve under-standing and public awareness of the importance

of the implementation of WCF for Indonesia and the world.

grand Strategy Meeting held in Bali was at-tended by representatives from Udayana Univer-sity, Warmadewa University, Mahasaraswati Uni-versity, Indonesian Institute of the Arts Denpasar, Walhi, IDEP Foundation, Bali Sruti, Tourism Bu-reau of Bali Province, and various universities, non-governmental institutions and other commu-nity organizations.

World Culture for Development Forum (WCF) – “Bali Forum” 2013 is planned to be held in Bali on 24 – 29 November 2013. WCF – “Bali Forum” 2013 aims to strengthen the harmonious rela-tions among nations, to create harmonious world civilization, uphold and respect the uniqueness and diversity of cultures, and to bring prosperity to the community.

This event is also held to make Indonesia as the “World Home” for meetings and discussion of strategic issues in the field of cultures, particu-larly in relation to peace, conservation, develop-ment and globalization. This refers to the role of Davos (Switzerland) in the implementation of the

World Economic Forum (WEF) and Rio de Ja-neiro (Brazil) in the implementation of the Inter-national Environment Forum (IEF).

For further information please contact: WCF SecretariatMinistry of Education and Culture Republic of IndonesiaBuilding A, 2nd FloorJl. Jenderal Sudirman, Senayan, Jakarta 10270, IndonesiaPhone: +62 21 36 11 31 04Fax: +62 21 572 5048Email: secretariat@wcf-bali.com www.wcf-bali.com

“BALI FORUM’’ 2013Ministry of Education and Culture to Hold Grand Strategy Meeting

october 31, 2012 is a yearly celebration in a number of countries. It was originally influenced by Western European in the middle of 16th century. Pullman Bali

Legian Nirwana is proud to capture the moment and held a Halloween costume party ‘gateway To Hell’ as a Theme of the party. This celebration is dedicated as a thank you party for the full support of the Travel Agent, Corporate and Media Partners to Pullman Bali Legian Nirwana. Also in propose to have a closer relationship to make a better collaboration in the future. Not only the invited Partners, Pullman Bali Legian Nirwana also invited the Long Staying In-House guest to celebrate and be part of it.

Mr. Luke Benbow, operational Manager of Pullman Bali Legian Nirwana said, “ We are very happy that we get the full support since we open in February 2011. And by invit-ing our Long Staying In-House guest, we want to welcome them and feel the Halloween ambiences during their stay periods also to add an exciting different to be experience.”

Pullman Bali Legian NirwanaHalloween Costume Party

Deputy Minister of Education and Culture, Wiendu Nuryanti

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Island Explorer14 Vol. VIII No. 5, 2013

yogyakarta has become one of the favorite tourist destinations in Indonesia, and it certainly has a lot of hotels that can make any traveler stayed there feel comfortable and want to

continue to live in this city. of the many hotels in yogyakarta, one that you must visit is the grand Dafam MM yogyakarta Hotel.

grand Dafam MM yogyakarta Hotel comes up with something different, with a romantic atmosphere wrapped in the culture of yogyakarta and always tries to pamper visitors as comfortable as possible. The bathroom in each room is made transparent to the bed room, giving the sensation of romance for those who stay with their couple. Rich atmosphere of yogyakarta and various typical dishes can be found in this hotel.

grand Dafam MM yogyakarta Hotel has 134 rooms, comprised of 106 deluxe rooms, 18 executive rooms, 6 executive balcony, 2 bedroom suites and 2 royal suites. Entering the lobby, you will see a giant painting of Mount Merapi erupting volcanic ash. If the weather is sunny, Mount Merapi can be seen from the balconies and windows of the hotel rooms.

The hotel that is located on Jalan Seturan Depok, Sleman (yo-gyakarta) offers a wide range of facilities that you need, ranging from meeting rooms, swimming pool, coffee shop, to the free wire-less internet in various places, including in the room. This 4-star hotel has just built last year, has a modern nuance with a variety of furniture that is still very new in conditions suitable for those of you who are young at heart.

Hogi Budiarto, general Manager of grand Dafam MM yogya-karta explained that the first floor consists of Superior, Deluxe, Su-per Deluxe and Junior Suite rooms and suites. you can also enjoy the facility of 24-hour laundry service at Merapi Merbabu Hotel. In addition, hot and cold water as well as tea and coffee facilities are also provided in every room.

“The hotel staff will serve guests professionally and warmly. It is an absolute and a priority. This is what will differentiate Dafam with other hotels in yogyakarta, Indonesian genuine hospitality. Friend-

ly smiles of the hotel employees and a touch of yogyakarta can be experienced by the hotel guests from the first time they enter the hotel until they leave, “said Hogi.

Hogi explained further that the grand Dafam MM yogyakarta Hotel will always look different by promoting tourist destinations in yogyakarta and its traditional culinary. “In every hotel we always provide typical food of the region and local souvenirs,” said Hogi.

The hotel also provides free shuttle transportation for guests who want to go to Malioboro for a walk or visiting souvenir shops.

“This hotel is perfect for travelers or businessman because it is only 15 minutes from the Adisucipto Airport. In addition, the hotel is also just 15 minutes from the heart of yogyakarta, namely Malio-boro. If you want to hold MICE events, the hotel also has facilities to support such event such as 3 meeting rooms with 1 ballroom with the capacity of up to 300 people, “said Hogi. (*)

Romanticism

Wrapped in

Yogyakarta

Culture

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15Vol. VIII No. 5, 2013

Romanticism

Wrapped in

Yogyakarta

Culture Lake Batur Festival 2012 which took place

at Pier of Kedisan Village, Bangli Regency, Bali, on Saturday afternoon (20/09) has been

ended. The festival was enlivened by various traditional competitions and performances from Bali regency.

“The festival was held with two objectives, the in event objective that directly drives the tour-ism and creative economic activities during the festival and beyond the event objective that cre-ates various positive image about Bangli after the event, “said I gede Pitana, Head of Tourism Resources and Creative Economy Development Bureau, at the opening of the Lake Batur Festival 2012 in Pier of Kedisan Village, Bangli regency, Bali.

This is the second year of the implementation of Lake Batur Festival. The festival was located at the bank of Lake Batur with Mount Batur as

the background. Although the opening ceremony took place in the afternoon, various competitions had been started since 9am.

The competitions held included decorated jukung contest (traditional Balinese boat), ge-bogan contest (decorating offerings with fruits), fruit carving, local culinary cooking contest (i.e. Nyat-Nyat Mujair Soup), and Bleganjur contest (parade of Balinese music).

Pier of Kedisan Village was crowded by hun-dreds of visitors that included local residents, do-mestic and foreign tourists. The number of visitor increased compared to the previous year.

“Last year, the festival featured a lot of artists and it was more about entertainment. Now, the festival is full of local tradition that can be enjoyed by tourists, “said AA Adi Budiawan, Marketing Staff Bangli Culture and Tourism Bureau.

Various competitions held have success-

fully attracted many visitors and one of them was the bleganjur contest. This musical parade was followed by ten villages in Bangli regency. Each team consists of 20-30 people. With tradi-tional Balinese festive costumes, they played a variety of instruments such as cengceng (cym-bals), drums, kempur (medium-sized gong), and gongs.

The team that received the most applause from the audience was bleganjur team from Kedisan Village where the festival took place this year. Some of the criteria assessed were compact-ness, musical arrangements, and punctuality. Each village was given 10 minutes to perform.

Sunday (21/10) was the last day of Lake Batur Festival 2012. Some exciting competitions held such as trekking to Mount Batur, fun bike, as well as Kintamani Dog Festival. Live music featuring Nugie became the closing performance of the festival.

Lake Batur is one of the main tourist destina-tions in Bali especially in terms of natural attrac-tion. With an area of about 18 km2, Lake Batur becomes the largest lake in the island. It is a vol-canic lake formed by ancient volcanic eruptions, just as happened in the Lake Toba. (*)

Various Competitions to Enliven Lake Batur Festival 2012

Coolness Behind the History in Tirta GanggaKarangasem area is located in the

eastern part of the island of Bali. In Karangasem area there are

many historical relics of the kingdom of Karangasem and the ancestors of Karangasem people, which have high historical value such as Besakih Temple, Taman Ujung, Tirta ganga and many more.

Tirta gangga is a tourist attraction located in the village of Abang, Abang district, Karangasem, Bali. It is just 6 miles away from the north of Amlapura - Bali. The travel time from Denpasar to Tirta gangga is about 1.5 hours by car. Tirtagangga was built in 1948 by the last king of Karangasem and used as rest-ing place of the royal family. It presents a stunning view of the bathing place, in the

vicinity there are vast stretches of paddy fields, and the atmosphere here is quite cool. Its architecture is a combination between European, Chinese and tradi-tional Balinese architecture. Surrounded by a beautiful panorama has made Tirta-gangga one of must visit tourist destina-tions on Bali. Village atmosphere with a stretch of rice fields, cool weather and a park completed with pool, which wa-ter is cool and clear would be a perfect escape from the hustle and bustle of the crowded city life.

No need to worry about accommoda-tions if you want to stay longer there. There are lots of home stays, which rent is not too expensive. If you want to bring something home as a souvenir, souvenir shops can easily be found around. (*)

lake and mountain Batur

bleganjur competation

Festival was opened by I gede Pitana

Cooking competition.

Kintamani dog competitions

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Island Explorer16 Vol. VIII No. 5, 2013

Raja Ampat Marine Festival 2012 was held on 18-21 october 2012. The annual event of the local government of Raja

Ampat regency is intended to promote the marine potentials of the region. The festival with the theme of “for a truly nature experience”, was officially opened by the Deputy Minister of Tourism and Economy Affairs, Republic of Indonesia, Sapta Nirwandar accompanied by West Papua governor Abraham o. Atururi and Regent of Raja Ampat, Markus Wanma in Waisai Tercinta Beach (WTC).

Besides Raja Ampat Marine Festival, there was also developmental exhibition by the local government of Raja Ampat Regency. The booths displayed various activities through photos. Tra-ditional culinaries from Raja Ampat were also on display, and visitors were free to taste them. The festival is also aimed to introduce Raja Ampat to the international world.

Raja Ampat Regency has 610 islands. Raja Ampat beach stretches along 753 km, is located in the heart of the world’s coral triangle and cur-rently is the center of the richest tropical marine biodiversity. Raja Ampat means four kings, for-merly named Kalana Fat. The name is derived from the Muslim kingdom of Tidore in the 15th century when the archipelago and the Moluccas (now Maluku) were known as the entrance to

the Kings’ Island. The four major islands in Raja Ampat are Waigeo, Batanta, Salawati and Misol. Raja Ampat is now included in the administrative region of West Papua province.

In the festival, Deputy Minister Sapta Nirwan-dar accompanied by governor of West Papua, were enthusiastically welcomed by the local peo-ple with traditional dances and music. Deputy Minister, the governor and other invited guests were taken to the stage of honors. Invited guests and the public who attended the opening of the Raja Ampat Marine Fastival was estimated to reach 3000 people.

Indonesian singer from Sorong, Edo Kondolog-it, performed the song titled “Aku Papua”, which of course hypnotized the guests and the people who crowded the beach. Edo Kondologit had successfully enlivened the beach atmosphere with some songs in Wayase rhythm.

Raja Ampat Marine Festival 2012 was also enlivened by travel photo competition, decorated boats, national culinary tour, and art exhibitions of traditional handicrafts. A variety of crafts on display at the booth located at the Waisai Ter-cinta Beach such as woven hats, mats, noken, bags, coconut shell crafts, leather crafts and many more.

In addition, the event was also enlivened by art and cultural performances, and exhibition of tour-

ism potentials of the area that was dominated by marine tourism. Various kinds of marine tourism offered include cruising, snorkeling, bird watch-ing, visiting islands, and enjoying the beauty of Karst Island landscape.

In his speech, Sapta Nirwandar also said that if Raja Ampat is managed well, it will certainly be equal to Bali as a world tourism icon. “And I’m very optimistic about it, because the name of Raja Ampat has been known worldwide,” said Nirwandar.

Not only that, the position of Raja Ampat, which is in the heart of the world coral triangle and its natural beauty and marine biodiversity are for sure great tourism potentials to attract tourist visit. “To develop tourism in Raja Ampat, all ele-ments must work hand in hand. I strongly believe that if it happens, Raja Ampat will be an icon of world tourism, “he said.

After that, guests and officials were welcome to visit the exhibition booths and then enjoyed a tour to small islands in the Raja Ampat.

Sapta Nirwandar to Enjoy Snorkel-ing in Raja Ampat

Deputy Minister Sapta Nirwandar spent time to enjoy snorkeling in one of the interesting spots in Raja Ampat. “I snorkeled in Raja Ampat Re-

sort. Although it was already 5pm the coral reefs and the fish still looked beautiful. It became more beautiful with the burst of sunlight from above, “Sapta said.

Sapta praised the beauty of Raja Ampat. Ac-cording to him, the beauty of coral reefs in Raja Ampat exceeds those in Maldives that is also popular and well managed. “I think the coral reefs in Raja Ampat are better,” he said.

Sapta also gave some ideas the local govern-ment of Raja Ampat related to marine attractions that can be developed in the region. According to Sapta, there is an island in the Indian ocean which is quite beautiful as a fishing spot.

“So later, Raja Ampat should become an inte-grated marine spot, which offers not only diving, but also other marine attractions such as fishing. Fishing is safe because it is done on the surface and does not damage the coral. Certain rules should be applied to maintain the marine envi-ronment such as minnows caught should not be taken home; they should be released back to the sea. There is also a kind of fishing game. The rule is participant should pay whether or not they can catch fish, “he said.

Raja Ampat is known for its underwater beauty. According to the governor of West Papua, this time tourists who travel to Raja Ampat have reached 15,158 people. (*)

Raja Ampat is expected to be the World Tourism Icon

Sapta Nirwandar when opening the festival Raja Ampat. phot

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Setiap daerah harus memiliki unggulan wisata minat khusus, karena Indonesia kaya akan potensi tersebut. Penjelasan

tersebut diungkapkan Wakil Menteri Pariwisata dan Ekonomi Kreatif, Sapta Nirwandar pada Rakor Sinkronisasi Program Pemasaran Pariwisata 2013, di gedung Sapta Pesona, Jakarta, belum lama ini. “Misalnya Makassar, itu jelas marine (bahari). Harus ada paket yang bisa dijual mulai tahun depan. Entah diving, surfing, atau dipaketkan,” tuturnya.

Sapta juga berharap industri pariwisata juga mampu membuat paket wisata minat khusus yang ikonik dan mampu dijual. Sehingga, lanjut-nya, VITO (Visit Indonesia Tourism Officer) di 12 negara mampu membantu menjual paket-paket tersebut.

Seperti dijelaskan sebelumnya oleh Menteri Pariwisata dan Ekonomi Kreatif, Mari Elka Pang-estu, Indonesia melalui Kementerian Pariwisata dan Ekonomi Kreatif (Kemenparekraf) tengah mengembangkan tujuh wisata minat khusus.

Ketujuh wisata minat khusus tersebut antara lain adalah wisata sejarah dan budaya, wisata alam dan ekowisata, kuliner, olahraga dan re-kreasi, MICE (meeting, incentive, convention, event), kapal pesiar, serta spa dan wellness. “Kalau wisata sejarah dan budaya, jelas seperti paket Candi Borobudur atau Muara Jambi,” ka-tanya.

Wisata sejarah dan budaya, lanjutnya, berkaitan erat pula dengan ekonomi kreatif sep-erti seni pertunjukan dan seni musik, sampai seni rupa dan arsitektur tradisional. oleh karena itu, ia mengimbau setiap daerah untuk meny-usun kalender wisata agar memudahkan calon wisatawan dalam merencanakan perjalanan. Sebab, acara budaya dan festival pun merupa-kan daya tarik wisata.

Sementara untuk wisata alam dan ekowisata perlu didorong, sebab wisatawan seluruh dunia saat ini mencari wisata berkelanjutan, terutama wisata yang berhubungan dengan pelestarian alam. Sedangkan wisata kuliner menjadi produk wisata yang dikembangkan karena jika melihat dari kecenderungan belanja wisatawan man-canegara, kuliner berada di peringkat ketiga be-lanja wisatawan saat melancong.

“Data tahun 2009, setelah akomodasi dan transportasi, wisman lebih banyak belanja ma-kanan dibandingkan wisnus (wisatawan nusan-tara). Wisnus lebih banyak beli oleh-oleh. Wis-man spending (belanja) kuliner, baru suvenir, kemudian spa dan sport (olahraga),” jelas Mari.

Menparekraf berharap masing-masing daerah memiliki unggulan kuliner. Selain kuliner, adat

tradisional yang mencerminkan kearifan lokal juga perlu ditonjolkan. “Kita punya banyak alam dan budaya yang indah, tapi kita punya masyarakat yang sangat wise (bijak) karena kita menjaga kearifan lokal kita,” tuturnya.

Sedangkan wisata minat khusus olahraga dan rekreasi di antaranya adalah golf, menyelam, bersepeda, trekking, hiking, surfing, dan extreme adventure. Untuk wisata MICE, lanjut Mari, Indo-nesia terus mempromosikan 15 kota MICE.

Wisata minat khusus kapal pesiar juga ter-masuk yacht dan beberapa acara seperti Sail Indonesia. Di tahun 2013, Sail Komodo akan berlangsung. Menurut Mari, ada 10 pelabuhan yang akan dikembangkan dalam tiga tahun ke depan untuk melayani kapal pesiar besar. “Kita kembangkan 7 spot dan ada 25 titik lainnya lagi. Ini keunggulan kita, karena Indonesia bisa me-nampung kapal besar, medium, maupun yang kecil,” tambah Mari.

Visa 90 Hari untuk Backpacker Asing

Backpacker identik dengan wisatawan yang

traveling dengan bujet murah atau minim. Te-nyata, wisatawan tipe ini banyak yang datang ke Indonesia, Kemen-parekraf pun menar-getkan mendatangkan lebih banyak back-packer ke Indonesia. “Ada ide bagus, bagaimana kalau kita menarget-kan backpacker? Karena backpacker tinggalnya lama dan dia akan mengunjungi banyak tempat,” kata Mari Elka Pangestu.

Mari menambahkan, backpacker biasanya menetap lama dan menghabiskan uang yang tidak sedikit. Selain itu, mereka tidak hanya diam di satu tempat seperti kebanyakan wisatawan, melainkan jalan-jalan ke berbagai tempat di seki-tarnya. “Kita juga akan mengusulkan tentang ba-gaimana visa khusus 90 hari diberikan kepada backpacker. Tentu kita akan bekerjasama den-gan pihak imigrasi,” lanjut Mari.

Selain itu, pihak dari maskapai penerbangan akan diajak bekerjasama juga untuk memudah-

kan para backpacker. Paket-paket khusus back-packer pun menjadi usulan dari Menteri Pari-wisata dan Ekonomi Kreatif. “Airlines juga dapat memberikan paket-paket khusus dengan terbang kemana saja. Misalnya dari Jakarta, lalu bisa ke berbagai tempat tujuan lainnya,” ujar Mari.

Dalam kesempatan berbeda, Wakil Menteri Pariwisata dan Ekonomi Kreatif, Sapta Nirwan-dar, mengungkapkan backpacker memiliki po-tensi yang besar. Sebab, mereka menetap lebih lama dan menghabiskan uang secara kontinyu. “Dalam sehari, mereka bisa menghabiskan uang sebesar 100 dolar,” tambah Sapta.

Semoga usulan visa 90 hari ini bisa menda-tangkan lebih banyak wisman ke Indonesia, terutama para backpacker. Selain meningkatkan perekonomian setempat, keindahan Indonesia pun bisa lebih dikenal di mata dunia.

2013, Targetkan 9 Juta Wisman

Target kunjungan wisman di 2013 meningkat menjadi 9 juta. Saat ini Kemenparekraf sedang berupaya mengejar 8 juta wisman hingga akhir 2012. “Target di 2013, Singapura targetnya 1,7 wisman, Malaysia 1,4 juta, Australia 1,2 juta,

China 1 juta. Kalau ditotal semua negara adalah 9 juta,” kata Sapta Nirwandar.

Menurut Sapta, kri-sis Eropa berpengar-uh di Asia. Tetapi pari-wisata masih bergeliat dengan adanya per-tumbuhan pariwisata Indonesia sebesar 5 persen. Pada tahun 2008 yang lalu saat krisis dunia mulai ter-

jadi, Indonesia masih mengalami pertumbuhan pariwisata walau kecil hanya di angka nol koma.

oleh karena itu, beberapa strategi diterapkan Kementerian Pariwisata dan Ekonomi Kreatif. Salah satunya adalah menyasar pasar jarak dekat. Sesuai tren pariwisata global saat ini, di tengah krisis Eropa, destinasi wisata yang masih dalam lingkup regional maupun jarak pendek menjadi populer.

Jika berbicara Indonesia, maka pasar regional seperti Jepang, Korea Selatan, dan India men-jadi sasaran pasar pariwisata Indonesia. Semen-tara negara-negara ASEAN menjadi pasar jarak pendek bagi Indonesia. Peningkatan maskapai bujet rendah juga menjadi tren pariwisata global. (*)

17Vol. VIII No. 5, 2013

Pemda Mesti Gali Potensi Wisata Minat Khusus

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Dalam upaya mengenalkan lagu daerah dan mempromosikan pariwisata, Kementerian Pariwisata dan Ekonomi

kreatif (Kemenparekraf) bekerjasama dengan Ikatan Alumni SMAN VI yogyakarta menyelenggarakan Lomba Cipta Pop Daerah Nusantara 2012.

“Setelah final ini, nanti akan kita buatkan album dan kita promosikan melalui tayangan TV, youtube, atau pun Facebook. Ini untuk promosi destinasi dan pariwisata,” kata Wa-menparekraf, Sapta Nirwandar kepada war-tawan di ANTV Epicentrum, Studio Complex Komplek Rasuna Said, Epicentrum, Jakarta, belum lama ini.

Kegiatan lomba ini mencapai puncaknya di Epicentrum, Jakarta, Selasa (30/10) malam. Ada 6 finalis dengan lagu dari daerah yang berbeda-beda di Indonesia.

Awalnya, ajang ini diikuti oleh 100 lagu dari tiap peserta. Pada akhirnya, terpilih 6 fi-nalis untuk menjadi juara. 6 Finalis tersebut, berdasarkan judul lagunya, adalah Bangkit Budak Melayu dari Riau, Ingot Toba dari Su-matera Utara, Sio Ugude dari Papua, Tanah Jawi dari Jawa Timur, Lagu Darjo dari Jawa Timur, dan Ranah Bundo dari Sumatera Ba-rat.

“Ini bagian dari industri kreatif dan dapat menggairahkan kesenian daerah, suara-su-aranya bagus lho!” ujar Sapta memuji kon-testan.

Juri untuk Lomba Cipta Pop Daerah Nusan-tara ini tokoh yang taka sing lagi di dunia music

Indonesia, seperti kritikus musik Bens Leo dan penyanyi Trie Utami, pemerhati musik tradisional, hingga produser rekaman musik studio. Kriteria penilaiannya adalah melodi lagu, harmoni, lirik, komposisi, tema lagu mengangkat destinasi pariwisata, otentik, dan kearifan lokal masing-masing daerah. “Kita mengharapkan lirik yang menarik, seki-tar alam dan budaya,” jelas Sapta.

Menurut Sapta, lagu daerah yang itu-itu saja akan membuat orang bosan. Maka ajang ini akan menambah lagu-lagu daerah yang sudah ada sekaligus mengenalkan destinasi wisata di daerahnya masing-mas-ing. “Masa Ayu Ting Ting saja bisa terkenal, lagu daerah ini juga bisa dong,” ujar sapta.

Diharapkan Bisa Saingi K-Pop“Kita memiliki ratusan budaya

lokal yang siap diterjemahkan dalam karya-karya post-mod-ernisme yang populer bahkan sanggup untuk menyaingi K-Pop sekalipun,” kata Sapta.

Ia menyayangkan saat ini lagu-lagu daerah yang meru-pakan salah satu warisan luhur bangsa cenderung tergilas popularitasnya oleh budaya asing termasuk Korean Pop.

Hal itu, kata dia, tampak se-makin ironis manakala banyak stasiun televisi berjaringan na-

sional yang bersaing ketat merebut rating melalui program musik tetapi sangat jarang menampilkan lagu bernuansa kedaerahan. “Ini berimbas pada makin surutnya minat generasi muda terhadap lagu yang berasal dari tanah kelahirannya,” katanya.

Menurut dia, perlu ada upaya untuk meng-gugah kembali minat generasi muda terh-adap lagu-lagu daerah.

Apalagi, potensi lagu daerah yang besar karena sesungguhnya kesenian Indonesia sudah memiliki peminat khusus di pasar global. Ia mencontohkan, musik gamelan saat ini sudah terdapat pada 35 stage di dunia.

Bahkan di California, gamelan terdapat di 20 kota sedangkan di Jepang terdapat 52 sanggar kesenian Indonesia. Terlebih saat ini ada kecenderungan post-modernisme yang mendorong tren dunia untuk mengejar identitas lokal sebagai warna dalam karya kesenian musik.

Tren kecenderungan pemikiran semacam itu menjadi kesempatan yang tidak bisa dile-watkan oleh bangsa Indonesia yang memiliki ratusan kebudayaan lokal.

Pada dasarnya, kata Sapta, hal terpent-ing saat ini adalah mengoptimalkan nilai kel-okalan terlebih dahulu sebelum memberikan sentuhan aspek-aspek yang bisa membuat sebuah musik untuk bisa “go” internasional, misalnya sentuhan manajemen dan teknolo-gi.

Pihaknya mencatat kontribusi industri musik tradisional terhadap PDB mencapai 3,48 persen dari total kontribusi industri musik di tanah air. Sedangkan kontribusi industri kreatif secara keseluruhan terh-adap PDB tercatat 7,8 persen.

Pemenang Lomba Cipta Pop Daerah Nusantara 2012 adalah Nova Anugrah Hani dan Ronald Wilson, dengan judul lagu Sio U gunde, Papua. Pemenang berhak mendapat hadiah sebesar Rp 30 juta. (*)

Menteri Pariwisata dan Ekonomi Kreatif, Mari Elka Pangestu mengatakan Kementerian Pariwisata

dan Ekonomi Kreatif (Kemenparekraf) bersama dengan Kementerian Kesehatan meluncurkan gerakan terpadu Indonesian Wellness and Healthcare Tourism Movement (IWHT).

“Program ini merupakan sinergi dua ke-

menterian untuk mengembangkan wisata kesehatan Indonesia yang memiliki ciri khas natural dan holistik dengan memanfaatkan kearifan budaya lokal dengan didukung da-ta-data ilmiah dan mendapatkan dukungan dari sarana pelayanan kesehatan atau ru-mah sakit yang terakreditasi secara nasional dan internasional,” ujarnya.

Dikatakan sangat mendukung gerakan

IWHT ini karena berkaitan erat dengan pengembangan tujuh wisata minat khusus yang salah satunya wisata kesehatan dan kebugaran.Pengembangan wisata minat khusus menjadi salah satu program utama Kemenparekraf karena dinilai bisa men-jadi daya tarik untuk meningkatkan kualitas wisatawan mancanegara yang berkunjung ke Indonesia.

“Kualitas wisatawan diukur dari lama ting-gal dan besarnya pengeluaran saat berkun-jung di suatu daya tarik wisata. Sejak seta-hun lalu kita fokus pada beberapa hal untuk meningkatkan kualitas wisatawan. Wisata kesehatan dan wellness adalah salah satu-nya,” katanya.

Ditambahkannya, orang yang melakukan wisata kesehatan akan tinggal lebih lama untuk melakukan perawatan. Penting bagi mereka untuk berada di tempat yang baik, seperti di resort, di mana mereka tinggal bu-kan hanya perawatan tapi juga melakukan kegiatan lain yang berkaitan dengan kepari-wisataan. Ini adalah cara yang efektif untuk meningkatkan kualitas wisatawan.

“Wisata kesehatan dan wellness adalah pasar yang besar yang harus dimanfaatkan. Sebuah studi yang dilakukan oleh KPMg In-ternasional menunjukkan estimasi peningka-tan pengeluaran wisata kesehatan menjadi US$ 100 miliar pada 2012, atau meningkat 20-30% dari US$78,5 miliar pada 2010. Se-mentara wisata wellness tercatat mencapai pengeluaran sebesar US$106 miliar pada 2010,” ungkap Mari Pangestu. (*)

18 Vol. VIII No. 5, 2013

Sebagai upaya Kota Sawahlunto di Sumatera Barat mengukuhkan dirinya sebagai kota wisata tambang berbudaya, maka salah satu kegiatan skala nasional

yang digelar adalah Sawahlunto Kreatif yang akan berlang-sung di Theater Jakarta, Taman Ismail Marzuki (TIM), Ja-karta, pada 30-31 oktober 2012 mendatang.

“Pengukuhan itu sebagai solusi dan inovasi dalam melanjutkan gerak Kota Sawahlunto pada masa sekarang dan mendatang,” kata Direktur Pengembangan Pasar dan Informasi Kementerian Pariwisata dan Ekonomi Kreatif (Kemenparekraf), Sadar Pakarti Budi di Jakarta belum lama ini.

Wali Kota Sawahlunto, Amran Nur, pun mengatakan kota tersebut pernah menyandang gelar sebagai kota in-dustri batubara kelas dunia di masa penjajahan Belanda. “Namun, selama 120 tahun sumber daya alam itu ternyata tidak lagi memberikan harapan yang menggembirakan bagi kami. Bahkan dalam beberapa tahun terakhir lebih dari 10.000 orang pindah ke kota lain. Kami tidak ingin Sawahlunto menjadi kota mati,” katanya.

Amran Nur menambahkan, Sawahlunto Kreatif ini sebuah gagasan untuk mengangkat dan memberdayakan berbagai potensi pariwisata, budaya, dan ekonomi kreatif Sawahlunto.

Kesempatan sama, Kasubdit Wilayah Sumatera Direk-torat Pemasaran Pariwisata Dalam Negeri, Raseno Arya, mengatakan, perlu sinergi setiap komponen sebagai kekuatan untuk mendorong Sawahlunto menjadi kota wisata tambang yang berbudaya.

Menurut Raseno, Sawahlunto merupakan kota cantik yang penuh dengan bangunan kuno eks Belanda. Di sana juga ada tambang batu bara pertama di Indonesia. Tak ketinggalan, salah satu kereta tua nan megah juga dimiliki kota itu yaitu kereta api Mak Itam.

Rangkaian acara dalam Sawahlunto Kreatif yang akan digelar meliputi pameran ekonomi kreatif dan pariwisata Sawahlunto, demo dan pameran songket silungkang, ku-liner Los Lambuang, pameran foto, pagelaran kesenian rakyat (talempong, randai, saluang, rabab, dan kim).

Pagelaran seni tari yang akan digelar adalah Restorasi Song-ket Silungkang karya koreografer Hartati dan fashion show oleh Ria Miranda dengan tema Minangkabau Heritage. (*)

geliat Ekonomi Kreatif di Sawahlunto

Mari Pangestu: Wisata Kesehatan Makin Diminati

Pemerintah yang telah menargetkan akan menggenjot ekspor batik lebih dari US$1 miliar pada 2013, antara lain dukungan pameran batik secara internasional

diberbagai negara termasuk di kawasan Afrika. Menko Perekonomian Hatta Rajasa mengatakan saat ini ekspor batik Indonesia mendekati US$1 miliar. Kami akan terus tingkatkan pada tahun depan sehingga minimal bisa melebihi angka sekarang. Terlebih lagi banyak kepala negara yang sangat menyukai batik bahkan batik kita sudah mendapatkan pengakuan dari UNESCo.

“Pemerintah akan mempermudah para pengerajin batik untuk bisa mendapatkan tambahan modal melalui Kredit Usaha Rakyat dan menjembatani mereka di perbankan na-sional. Selain itu, pemerintah juga akan mengajak kalangan swasta untuk juga mengembangkan batik yang telah men-jadi budaya Indonesia selama ratusan tahun itu,” ujarnya.

Dikatakan, KUR tahun ini kan mencapai Rp30 triliun. Ini harus disalurkan kepada UKM yang membutuhkan teru-tama industri yang menyerap tenaga kerja banyak seperti industri batik. Bahkan Presiden SBy telah memerintahkan untuk terus menambah jumlah KUR tersebut.

“Tidak hanya dilihat dari sekedar ekonomi saja, tetapi juga menyangkut berbagai aspek kehidupan seperti the power of culture, kekuatan budaya yang merupakan simbol kekuatan budaya Indonesia. Dijelaskan Hatta, setiap gore-san para pengerajin di kain yang polos maka the power of innovation. The power of creativity sudah terbentuk,” ka-tanya.

Ditambahkannya, kami jangan menilai sekian ratus ribu rupiah yang akan diperoleh para pengerajin, tapi kekua-tan pemikiran dan kreativitas yang dia kerahkan menjadi produk yang indah yang mereflesikandari pesan mulia, kegundahan, rasa cinta, atau rasa ingin sesuatu yang ke-mudian digoreskan dalam kain batik.

Hatta meminta para pengusaha dan desainer untuk da-pat menjadikan batik sebagai trend fashion tidak hanya di dalam negeri tetapi juga di luar negeri. Maka tak heran jika pemerintah telah menjadikan 2 oktober sebagai Hari Batik secara nasional. Kekuatan batik sebagai kekuatan ekono-mi rakyat sejak jaman duhulu harus terus dilestarikan seh-ingga bisa menopang pertumbuhan ekonomi di Indonesia terutama di daerah-daerah.

“Kalau bukan kita siapa lagi yang akan melestarikan bu-daya ini. Jangan sampai batik sebagai budaya Indonesia kembali diakui oleh negara lain,” tambahnya. (*)

Pemerintah Targetkan Ekspor Batik US$1 Miliar

Mengangkat Lagu Pop Daerah Jadi Industri Kreatif Bergengsi

Sadar Pakarti Budi (kiri), Wali Kota Sawahlunto Amran Nur dan Raseno Arya saat jumpa pers.

Wamen Sapta Nirwandar berikan hadiah pada pemenang lomba

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Tahun depan di 2013, Sail Komodo akan digelar dengan mengambil lokasi puncak di Labuan Bajo, Manggarai Barat. gubernur NTT, Frans Lebu Raya berharap event dengan

melibatkan sejumlah kementrian ini makin mempopulerkan Komodo dan berbagai potensi wisata di NTT. Selain itu janji pembangunan dan perbaikan infrastruktur oleh Pemerintah Pusat agar bener-bener terwujud.

Hal yang sama juga diungkapkan Menteri Pariwisata dan Ekono-mi Kreatif, Mari Elka Pangestu. Untuk menyukseskan Sail Komodo 2013, Pemerintah Kabupaten Manggarai Barat perlu menata Ban-dara Udara (Bandara) Komodo dan Pelabuhan Laut Labuan Bajo serta prasaranan jalan agar lebih baik dan memadai.

Menurut dia, ketersediaan infrastruktur yang memadai dan baik akan sangat berpengaruh terhadap suksesnya penyelenggaraan Sail Komodo 2013. Ini juga untuk mendukung pengembangan

pariwisata di Manggarai Barat (Mabar) dalam jangka panjang.Mari menyampaikan kekagumannya terhadap keindahan bawah

laut di Mabar,khususnya perairan Komodo yang sangat kaya biota laut, seperti ikan, karang, dan penyu yang berbeda dengan penyu di lokasi diving lain di Indonesia.

Titik-titik diving yang ada diperairan Komodo, kata Mari, sangat menantang. Ini karena ada sejumlah pulau di Perairan Komodo membuat titik-titik diving yang ada juga berbentuk landscape sehingga situasi diving sangat menantang dan menyenangkan. Sejumlah pulau yang ada diperairan Komodo juga memberikan keindahan pantai yang sangat menakjubkan. Pantai-pantainya ada beberapa berpasir putih, dan pasir merah.Awalnya saya pikir hanya satu yang berpasir merah (pink beach, Red). Tetapi ternyata di sejumlah pesisir pantai ada yang berpasir merah. Benar-benar menakjubkan,,” ujarnya.

Mari menegaskan, untuk menjaga keamanan terumbu karang dan biota laut yang ada di Perairan Komodo, perlu pengembangan ekowisata, sehingga masyarakat kecil bisa mendapatkan keuntun-gan ekonomis dari menjaga terumbu karang yang ada.

Hal ini, demikian Mari, bisa dilakukan dengan penarikan retribusi dari wisatawan yang berkunjung dan diving di Perairan Komodo, dan juga bisa dengan mewajibkan wisatawannya menanam ter-umbu karang atau mengadopsi terumbu karang yang ada. Dengan demikian, lanjutnya, wisatawan yang datang akan terdorong untuk kembali lagi melihat terumbu karang yang ditanamnya, atau dia-dopsinya sudah hidup atau tidak.

Ikon KomodoMengenai pengembangan pariwisata Mabar,menurut Mari,

dari Kementerian Pariwisata ada satu program PNPM Mandiri Pariwisata.Untuk Kabupaten Mabar sampai saat ini ada 11 desa PNPM Mandiri Pariwisata dari 46 desa PNPM Mandiri Pariwisata diseluruh Flores.

Program PNPM Mandiri Pariwisata ini, jelas Mari, merupakan program Kementerian Pariwisata bertujuan untuk mengembang-kan Pariwisata Fores secara keseluruhan.Mulai dari Labuan Bajo, Kabupaten Mabar hingga Larantuka, Kabupaten Flores Timur (Flotim).

Mari mengatakan,saat ini sudah ada kesepakatan dengan pe-merintah daerah delapan kabupaten di Flores untuk menjalankan program gerakan biru sehingga komodo sebagai obyek pariwisata yang sudah mendunia akan digunakan sebagai ikon menjual pari-wisata lainnya di Flores.

“Untuk mewujudkan itu, kita juga harus meningkatkan konek-tifitas yang ada di Flores. Karena kalau tidak, akan sulit. Sebab biaya yang harus di keluarkan oleh wisatawan mancanegara dan wisatawan nusantara akan mahal sehingga paket pariwisata yang akan terjual juga sedikit.Karenanya kita juga akan memikirkan ba-gaimana membangun bandara yang memungkinkan untuk bisa dilandasi oleh pesawat-pesawat berbadan lebar seperti boeing. Dengan demikian, akses pariwisata di Flores bisa terjual maksi-mal,” Kata Mari.

19Vol. VIII No. 5, 2013

Sail Komodo Membawa Harapan Baru

Frans Lebu Rayaphot

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Komodo Island