Harmony in Baliem Valley. Jayawijaya - Papua. Your ultimate lifestyle retreat in paradise. Vol. VII No. 8, 2012

Your ultimate lifestyle retreat in paradise

Vol. VII No. 8, 2012

Harmony in Baliem Valley Jayawijaya - Papua

photo by Timur Arif

www.ultimoparadiso.com - Indonesia Tourism News

photo by Sonny Tumbelaka

@

bali


3

4

focu s


Baliem Valley Festival 2012 : A Festive Event Held in Papua

www.ultimoparadiso.com BOARD of DIRECTOR

Dewantoro Umbu Joka Tonny Wijadjanto [email protected]

EDITOR IN CHIEF

Igo Kleden [email protected]

REPORTER Tri Wibowo [email protected] ADVERTISING & Ben Sisko MARKETING DIRECTOR [email protected]

photo by Timur Arif

MARKETING GRAPHIc DESIGNER

Baliem Valley Festival festivities

B

aliem Valley Festival 2012 was held in Jayawijaya, Papua. Hundreds of people gathered in the colorful traditional performances, where a variety of dances and rituals held. The festival was held on field twice the size of a football field located in Kwosilimo district. Jayawijaya Regency became the center of activities for the 23rd Baliem Valley Festival. The festival lasted for three days from August 8 to 11, 2012 and presented a variety of competitions and Crafts made by Dani tribe. Kwosilimo district is about 30 minutes drive from the city of Wamena. The festival was followed by the 15 districts that inhabit the Baliem Valley and began promptly at 11:30 WIT, Wednesday (08/08/2012). The men wear koteka (clothing to cover male genitalia in some indigenous cultures of Papua Island) while the women wear straw skirts called kombou. They performed various dances and rituals that are rich in culture.

Opening of the festival was attended by Director of Domestic Tourism Promotion Kemenparekraf M Faried and Jayawijaya Regent John Wempi Wetipo. There were also the Regional Secretariat of Papua Province Kosan Karma and Head of Jayawijaya Tourism Bureau Ratna Isbudiarti. “The festival is an expression of concern of Jayawijaya to foster the preservation of culture and tradition that has deeply entrenched in the Baliem Valley,” Wempi said in his opening speech. Festival took place every day until late afternoon. In addition to the action of war there were also various competitions such as archery competitions and handicrafts making such as nokem bags and necklaces. “Various events could be followed by tourists. A unique performance was presented during the opening ceremony of the festival. The ceremony of panah babi (shooting the pig with an arrow) was carried out by the regent and the regional secre-

tariat. A piglet was lifted as high as stomach, one person holding two front legs, and another holding two back legs. Regent and pork were apart as far as 4 meters, while everyone surrounded them in a big circle. The regent and the regional secretariat then shot the piglet as a sign of the opening of the festival. Until 2pm the festival was still enlivened by a war dance. Each dance war was followed by 20-30 male dancers wearing koteka. The men carried 3-meter long spears. They run circling the war showing the tribe war and their mightiness. Meanwhile, the women were dancing and cheering the men. Visitors were free to take pictures and four big stands were also provided. There were a lot of foreign tourists coming to watch this festival. To reach this place, from Sentani airport of Jayapura, you can use Trigana Air to Wamena airport. During the festival there are 5 flights from Jayapura to Wamena. Hotels in Wamena are located newar the airport. (*)

First Semester, Tourist Arrival to Reach 3.8 Million People

I

ndonesia continues to be the favorite destination for foreign tourists. This can be seen from the number of foreign tourist arrival, which is increasing every month. In the first semester (January-June 2012), the number of foreign tourists visiting Indonesia reached 3.8 million or rose by 7.75 percent over last year. Based on the data from the Central Bureau of Statistics (BPS) and the Center for Data and Information (Media Centre) Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy (Kemenparekraf), in the first semester of 2012 the number of tourist arrivals to Indonesia reached as many as 3,876,310 people. This number has increased over the same period, which was January to June of 2011, of 3,597,632 foreign tourists. In other words, foreign tourists visiting Indonesia rose by 7.75 percent. This increase is close to 8 percent, equal to the growth rate of foreign tourists in Asia Pacific. The figure of 3.8 million is higher than the growth rate of global tourists, which is only 5%. “The frequency of traveling to Indonesia is quite high as from May to August is the peak season. Looking at the trend until June, we are optimistic that the target of 8 million tourists for 2012 can be achieved, “said Minister of Tourism and the Creative Economy, Mari Elka Pangesti in Sapta Pesona building, Jakarta recently. In the first semester of 2012, foreign tourist visit to Indonesia was still dominated by 5 countries, namely China with an increase of 33.5% or 305, 303 foreign tourists, Malaysia by 10.1% (557, 413 tourists), Australia by 6.1% or as many as 442, 787 foreign tourists, Japan (5%) of 200, 093 for-

eign tourists, and the last one is Singapore by 1.1% or as many as 615, 390 people. In addition to working on increasing the number of foreign tourists visit and the number of trips of domestic tourists, Kemenparekraf also seeks to improve the quality of the tourism. One of them is measured by the length of stay and the amount of expenditure. “Many countries are now beginning to focus on developing special interest tourism and not just

focus solely on increasing the number of foreign tourists,” added Mari. Therefore, special interest tourism promotion strategies such as tracking, snorkeling, diving and golf should be increased because of its potential is huge. Kemenparekraf is also working on a program within the next 3 years to boost marine tourism, especially diving tourism and recreational sports such as golf, cruises, and MICE. (*)

tourists in Kuta beach Bali

Tania Yudick Ariant [email protected]

ACCOUNTING

Ni Komang Suciani

TRANSLATOR

Indira Sari Paputungan

CONTRIBUTOR

Christovao Vinhas [email protected]

DISTRIBUTOR

Martin Sanjaya

BANK Account

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

[email protected]

Distribution Domestic: BALI - Kuta, Ngurah Rai Airport, Nusa Dua, Sanur, Denpasar and Ubud Area. JAKARTA - Ahmad Sufyani - Jl. Tomang Raya No. 63 - Jakarta 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 Kemerdekaan III/38 - Walikota Kupang Phone: 0380 822102 SUMBA BARAT - Jl. Sudirman No. 5 Waikabubak - Sumba Barat. SUMBA TIMUR - Melanthon, Jl. Eltari No. 41 Matawai - Sumba Timur, Ph. 081353977788, 085239118181. LABUAN BAJO Martin Meotoda, Ph. 081338151744 Overseas: Malaysia - maxiINFO, 32-3-1, Jalan Medan Putra 4 Medan Putra Business Centre. Off Jalan Damansara, 52200 Kuala Lumpur. Australia - 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.

4Page 4

focus

4Page 5 - 7

my indonesia

4Page 8

island explorer

4Page 13 - 14

island explorer

4Page 15

whats on bali

4Page 16-18

nusantara

CV. Paradiso Timur Raya Jl. By Pass Ngurah Rai No. 620 Suwung, Denpasar-Bali-Indonesia P/F: +62 361 - 727010 E: [email protected] [email protected]

5


Borobudur’s Sunrise to Amaze the World

photo by spc

S

unrise in the temple of Borobudur is so amazing that from the eastern horizon a tinge of orange light appeared from behind Mount Merapi. The sun slowly emerges and spreads a golden glow through the fog and reflects it beautifully to the stupa and hall of Borobudur temple. Watching the sun rises from the world’s largest Buddhist temple was an incredible experience, even for some, it was a thrilling experience. For that reason, last June, CNN Go put Borobudur at sunrise at the first rank of 27 must-sees on this incredible planet. Borobudur has succefully outperformed a number of well-known places in the world such as the Taj Mahal (15), Petra in Jordan (21), or Sydney Harbour (12). This is the third achievement after Borobudur getting the UNESCO World Heritage status and a Guinness World Records as the largest Buddhist Temple in the world. Related to those achievements, the Director of Borobudur Prambanan Ratu Boko Temple Park, Purnomo Siswoprasetjo, said tht he was very proud of Borobudur that has gained world’s recognition. “Especially for its sunrise, because Borobudur is the most beautiful place to enjoy the sunrise, “said Purnomo. The aassessment, he said, was conducted independently by CNN. Purnomo deeply appreciated the results of those assessments. The management of Borobudur Prambanan Ratu Boko Temple Park will maintain the park so that visitors keep coming and they will always be served well. “We expect the number of tourists who come to Borobudur is increasing. I’m sure the assessment of CNNGo that puts Borobudur at sunrise at the first place will attract more tourists to come,” he said.(*)

This is a list of CNNGo’s 27 must-sees on this incredible planet: 1. Borobudur at Sunrise, Java, Indonesia 2. Starling murmuration, Brighton Pier, England 3. Northern Lights, Scandinavia 4. The great migration, East Africa 5. Star-filled sky, Mackenzie Basin, New Zealand 6. Torres del Paine, Chile 7. Djemaa el Fna, Marrakech, Morocco 8. Yosemite Peaks, California, United States 9. Santa Maria della Salute, Venice, Italy

Aceh to Develop Religious Tourism

photo by spc

F

or those of you who are interested in working as a tour guide, a bartender or a waiter in the countries of Asia, Japan is the country that needs to be avoided, while Thailad is the opposite. A survey by MasterCard Worldwide revealed that 89% of restaurants and bars in Thailand regularly receive tips from guests. In contrast, only 3% of restaurants and bars in Japan experience it. CNNGo survey was obtained based on the behavior of giving a tip at 7,000 respondents conducted in 2012. As an illustration, waiters at the restaurant and the bar used to get extra income from the tips given by guests. Habit of giving a tip is not really a common thing in many countries in Asia. According to a CNNGo Japanese editor Mark Hiratsuka giving a tip is not part of Japanese culture. You pay, close the wallet, and that’s it. Among the Japanese elderly, giving a reward in a form of a tip is something that is confusing. If someone leaves something in a restaurant or bar, someone will return it to the person who left it. Meanwhile, in Thailand, giving a tip has become the culture of Thailand by nature, especially related to food. The Philippines and Hong Kong are on the next rank after Thailand. Philippines is quite consistent by giving the tips at the rate of 75%, while Hong Kong at 71%. The bottom three consists of Japan, South Korea (13%) and Taiwan (17%). “This research indicates that the market is so diverse that make up the Asia Pacific region. It’s a mix of cultures and understanding that make them is a huge challenge for businesses globally, “said Georgette Tan from MasterCard, as quoted from CNNGo.com. What about Indonesia? Indonesia ranked sixth with Malaysia, woth a level of consistency by 60%. By gender, men are called more frequently tipping than women. This is an exception in Indonesia, the Philippines, and Singapore. Here’s a list of the most consistent countries in giving tips in Asia-Pacific: 1. Thailand (89%), 2. Philippines (75%), 3. Hong Kong (71%), 4. India (61%), 5. Australia (55%), 6. Malaysia (40%), 6. Indonesia (40%), 8. Singapore (33%), 9. Vietnam (30%), 10. China (28%), 11. New Zealand (20%), 12. Taiwan (17%), 13. South Korea (13%), 14. Japan (3%). (*)

19. Shubenacadie tidal bore, Canada 20. Cape Tribulation, Australia 21. Rock face city of Petra, Jordan 22. Enrosadira, Dolomites, Italy 23. Fairy chimneys, Cappadocia, Turkey 24. Lake District lakes, England 25. Sardine Run, South Africa 26. Pristine beaches of Islas cies, Spain 27. Cornwall’s ruined mines, England

A

ceh government through the Department of Culture and Tourism of the Province of Aceh is developing religious tourism to attract tourists visiting the province of the western tip of Indonesia and Aceh has a great

potential in religious tourism sector. Head of Culture and Tourism Bureau of the Aceh Province, Jasman Ma’aruf in Banda Aceh said that religious tourism is the sector that is going to be developed so that Aceh can be a tourist destination. Aceh has a lot of potentials to support this sector and one of them is Masjid Raya Baiturrahman (Baiturrahman Grand Mosque) in Banda Aceh. “Baiturrahman Grand Mosque is one of the grandest mosques in Southeast Asia. There is also Baiturrahmin mosque in Ulee Lheue in Banda Aceh. The mosque, which is situated on the edge of the beach, was safe from the tsunami on December 26, 2004. Other Islamic historical sites include the graves of Syiah Kuala and Tgk Tanoh Abee. Both were Aceh Islamic scholars in the past, “he said. Aceh is also well known among Muslims in

Southeast Asia as the Veranda of Mecca and also the history of Islam in Southeast Asia was originated from Aceh. With such potentials, Aceh has a great opportunity to attract more tourists to visit the province. These opportunities should be developed by promoting Aceh and holding a variety of activities in Islamic nuance. “Religious tourists around the world reached 300 million to 400 million people and we’re trying to attract only one to two percent of that total, espeially from Indonesia and Southeast Asia. While tourists from the Middle East, Europe and other countries are not yet a priority, “he said. He added that the Middle East is the largest religious tourism market in the world, “so we’re not too focused on how to attract tourists from this region. Religious tourists from Southeast Asia are quite a lot, so this is our main focus,” he said. (*)

Sasando to Astound Visitors of Gannat Festival - France

U

nique and distinct sound of sasando, a musical instrument from East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), has astounded the audiences of Gannat Festival in the city of Gannat, Auvergne, which is located 387 km from Paris, France. Minister Conseiller Embassy in Paris, Arifi Saiman said that besides the national song of Indonesia Pusaka, Jackob Hendrick Bullan also presented traditional songs and pop songs, including Mai Failie from Rote, East Nusa Tenggara and Western pop songs Can not Help Falling in Love using his sasando. He is a sasando musician that performed at the 3th Festival de Gannat on the support of Ministry of Tourism and the Creative Economy. Festival organized by the Association Nationale Cultures et Traditions (ANCT) led by Jean Roucher featured a variety of cultures, customs, and traditions of the countries in the world. Besides Indonesia, the festival was also followed by Egypt, Germany, the United States, Namibia, Guadeloupe, Puerto Rico, India, and Ireland. (*)

photo by spc

The Japanese Stingy to Give a Tip?

10. Jungle pyramids, Palenque, Mexico 11. Electrical storm, Tornado Alley, United States 12. Sydney Harbour, Australia 13. Inside the Thrihnukagigur volcano, Iceland 14. Monument Valley, United States 15. Taj Mahal, India 16. Kasanka bat migration, Zambia 17. Carlsbad Cavern, New Mexico, United States 18. Lunar Rainbow, Victoria Falls, Zambia

6


Taman Anggrek Mall to Present the World’s Largest LED Facade

Yogyakarta to Prepare Water Tourism

photo by spc

L

Taman Anggrek Mall

D

on’t be surprised when passing Taman Anggrek Mall in West Jakarta. Now, the mall has an LED illuminated facade. The 8675.3 m2 LED façade features a variety of colorful words and moving images that will surely amaze the visitors. More aamazingly, the latest brakthrough of the shopping center owned by Mulia Group has made a new Guinness World Records as The World’s Largest LED Illuminated Façade. The inauguration of the use of LEDs on

the outside of the world’s largest building was done by Minister of Tourism and the Creative Economy Mari Elka Pangestu, recently. Mari Pangestu said that she expects the LED facade could be one of the icons of Jakarta in addition to Monas (the National Monument). LED Facade at Taman Anggrek Mall was designed by Mulia Group Architects, manufactured by StandardVision from the United States, and the construction began in June last year.

Director of Mulia Group Viadi Sutoyo, said that the development was to be an alternative outdoor advertising media that is moving and dynamic. Most of the advertising media is still silent and static. “Moving advertisement has a number of advantages over the static and the results of research in America revealed that moving advertisement is six times more effective than static. Therefore, the sale impact of moving ad can reach 94% rather than the static, which is only 54%, “he said. (*)

photo by spc

Tanjung Lesung Development Still Needs Investors

P

T Banten West Java (BWJ) is still looking for strategic investors for all area development in tourism site Tanjung Lesung, Banten Province, which is now included in the Special Economic Zones (SEZ). Setiawan Mardjuki, Director of PT BWJ said that some foreign investors have done an assessment of investment, but no one has made the decision to make investment. “We’ve estimated that the total investment to develop Tanjung Lesung reaches US$ 5 billion. Some investors that have conducted investment assessment are from Korea, Australia, and Dubai. Most of them asked about the condition of infrastructure, distance to the location, and readiness of PT BWJ as the management of the area, “he said. These points have been taken into consideration for tourists in choosing certain tourist destination. There are investors who think that the travel time from Jakarta to Tanjung Lesung, which is about 3 hours, is too long and tiring. “Tanjung Lesung actually has some great potentials and one of them is its natural beauty. It is reinforced by the trend of an increasing number of tourist arrival every year,” he said. BWJ predicted that the number of tourists visiting Tanjung Lesung reached 500,000 people in one year, and 85% were domestic tourists, “he said. While the Assistant of Operational Director of PT Banten West Java Saprudin said that there are now four hotel operators in Tanjung Lesung. Every hotel show an upturn trend in terms of tourist visit. There are cottages that target the corporate segment, individuals, and foreign tourists. “The high occupancy rate still occurs during the holiday period of Idul Fitri and New Year. Previously, the Ministry of Tourism and the Creative Economy stated that Tanjung Lesung infrastructure development continues to run. (*)

ocal Government of Sleman regency in the Province of Yogyakarta Special Region prepares the development of recreational facilities and water park that is scheduled to be built in the village of Candibinangun, Pakem District, Sleman regency. This Water park will be built in the highlands with cool weather, which is considered to be the main attraction for tourists visiting the region. The surrounding natural beauty and a beautiful village will also be anothe aspects to enjoy while visiting this place. Head of Sleman Public Relations, Endah Sri Widiastuti said that the water park will be built by a local investor from Jakarta. Now it is still in the preparation process. “The existence of this water park is expected to enliven the natural attractions in Yogyakarta, especially in Sleman after the eruption of Mount Merapi in 2010, as well as to drive the local economy considering the promising potentialns owned by the region,” she said. She further said that this would be the largest water park in the province, which occupies approximately 19 hectares of land, so it could also be an opportunity to improve the eonomy of local community. The concept of tourism development for the water park is adjusted to the conditions of Sleman district, where most of the Sleman areas are maintained as agricultural and watersheds to maintain the balance of nature. “The water park is projected to be a sector that is integrated with the surrounding natural tourism and supports the economy of the local population people through agro tourism and the culinary tourism,” she said. It is also expected that the local community maintain the agricultural areas around park and plant more diverse products such as horticulture to support existing attractions. This water park development as the tourism sector has a competitive advantage because it will have a huge multiplier effect on other economic activities and development of the surrounding area. “Sleman is a hub of tourism activities in Yogyakarta and Central Java. In the national tourism map, the potential of Yogyakarta ranked third after Bali and Jakarta, so that tourism sector must be managed properly, “she said. (*)

7


Mari Pangestu Admires Flores Underwater

photo by Tri Wibowo

Lotus to Open its 4th branch at the Cibubur Plaza

photo by spc

A

T

he enchanting beauty Labuan Bajo water in Flores, East Nusa Tenggara, which is documented in the short film has amazed Mari Elka Pangestu, Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy. “I can not wait to dive into the sea floor of Labuan Bajo. Surely it is more

Targeting 180 Thousand Tourists in ‘Sales Mission India 2012’

‘

Sales Mission India 2012’ organized by the Directorate of Overseas Tourism Promotion Kemenparekraf to three cities Bengaluru, Ahmedabad, and Kolkata was expected to trigger foreign tourists visit from India, which is targeted as many as 180 thousand foreign tourists. Sales mission activities led by Director of Tourism Promotion of Foreign Affairs, Nia Niscaya facilitated fifteen tourism industries in Indonesia to conduct business meetings or table top with the India tourism buyers in the three cities visited. “We’re targeting ‘ Sales Mission India 2012’ to earn a business transaction valued at Rp 180 billion, an increase of 12.5% over last year,” said Nia in Jakarta, Friday (20/7) before departing for India. The sales mission lasted for five days (July 23 to 27) started from Benguluru and was planned to be opened by the Indonesian Ambassador in New Delhi Andi M. Ghalib. In addition to holding a business meeting or a table top, on that occasion, Nia Niscaya also presented the latest development of tourism in Indonesia (Indonesian Tourism Update) in the package of Wonderful Indonesia. Nia said that India is one of Indonesia’s rapidly growing market, so by Menparekraf Mari Elka

photo by spc

Online Travel Agency Services are still limited

Pangestu has been established as the main market, in addition to China and Russia. For promotional activities such as sales mission, festival, fam trip, or travel mart are encouraged in an effort to attract as many foreign tourist visits from those main market. Kemenparekraf with the Indonesia Consulate General in Mumbai in January held the Indonesian arts festival in Gujarat. It was then continued by the exhibitions at the TTF-Travel & Tourism Fair and OTM - Outbound Travel Mart in Mumbai. “Fam trip activities that brought 40 businessmen from several Indian cities to Indonesia was led by Indonesian Ambassador in New Delhi Andi Ghalib in June. There are entrepreneurs who are interested in investing in the tourism sector, especially the Indian restaurants, “said Jordi Paliama, Head of Sub Directorate of Tourism Promotion for Asia Region. India with a population of 1.2 billion people has 500 million middle class people with high purchasing power. In 2010, the people of India who traveled were as many as 11.07 million people or an increase of 1.8% per year. “The sales mission to India aimed to attract foreign tourists from India to spend holiday in June / July and end-of-year holidays that includes the cities of the North and South India which is one

of the outbound potential in India,” said Titik Wahyuni, Head of Tourism Promotion for South and West Asia Region. Fifteenth tourism industries that participated in the ‘Sales Mission India 2012’ were MG Holiday Travel (Jakarta), Melia Bali Hotel (Bali), PT. Tri Uma Wisata Bali (Bali), U & I Travel (Bali), L & H Travel (Bali), Sunlike Group of Hotel (Jakarta), Asia World Indonesia / PT Buaya Travel Indonesia (Bali), PT Ginar Tour (Jakarta) , BJC Tours & Travel (Bali), as well as international hotel chains Niwarna Gardens, Hyatt Hotels, Oberoi Group of Hotels, Accor Group of Hotels, Marriott Hotels, and Starwood Hotels. (*)

Putu Anindita Ready to Compete in Miss Coffee International 2012

photo by Tri Wibowo

T

he number of travel agencies engaged in online services is still considered very limited, whereas the number of local tourists in Indonesia in 2011 reached 123 million people. Flamingo Travel’s CEO Sumartok said that the number of local tourists is based on data from the Central Bureau of Statistics (BPS) in 2011. The rapid development of local tourists is supported by the expansion of routes and flight frequencies, increasing number of aircrafts as well as exploration of tourist destinations which have not been exposed. “As a result travel agency business is also developing and there were more than 30 thousand agents until the end of 2011. Unfortunately, only few of them engaged in online travel services, “he said. Meanwhile, Lissabrina Palsa, as well as lovers traveling presenter said the online travel agency today is increasingly becoming a trend because it offers comfort, convenience and better flexibility than regular travel agents. To meet these needs, Flamingo Travel through its official website www.flamingo.co.id present as online travel agency that offers a different experience that is unique travel package, creative, and inspiring the traveler as well as tourist activities that match your interests and hobbies through filter feature by interest. “So it is not only based on the destination, but also a customized travel package according to their interests, like photography on the island of Komodo (NTT), camping in Raja Ampat (West Papua), diving in Sabang (Aceh), learning to make puppet and batik in Yogyakarta, and watching the traditional ceremony in Dieng, Central Java, “he said. In order to get a taste of local and in-depth story of a tourist destination, Flamingo establishes a cooperation with local guides in each destination for the locals are the best guide, so that tourists can take home an unforgettable travel experience. (*)

beautiful there and more remarkable than that in the movie, “said Mari Pangestu in West Manggarai, Flores, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), recently. In the dialogue with officials of NTT and the Head of Komodo National Park, Mari who loves

photo by spc

leading retail company in Indonesia which is a subsidiary of PT. Mitra Adi Perkasa, Lotus, further strengthen its presence as a center for the modern lifestyle trendsetter with the launch of the fourth branch, located in Cibubur Plaza, Cibubur, West Java recently. The Grand Opening of Lotus’s fourth branch was attended by the board of directors of Lotus. As retail company that provides the lifestyle needs of modern society and has three branches, its presence in Cibubur is part of a business expansion plan peformed in 2012. In Cibubur, Lotus offers a lifestyle trendsetter for the middle class so that they an easily get quality clothing with modern style and affordable prices. Regarding the expansion of business done through the opening of Lotus’ fourth branch, the President Director of Lotus, Mr. Agus Gozali feels confident that the presence of Lotus in Cibubur will make a positive contribution to the community in Cibubur and its surrounding areas. “As a leading retail company in Indonesia, we want to always provide the best service to our customers. The opening of the fourth branch is to further strengthen the presence of Lotus as a center for lifestyle trendsetter for modern society. Not only for the city of Jakarta and its surrounding communities, from 2012 we will seriously working on the potential markets in other big cities, “said Agus. He added, “Based on the observations that have been carried out seriously, we still see the lifestyle needs of people who have not been met, especially for the middle class in the cities outside Jakarta like Cibubur. For this reason, after the success of bringing Lotus to this region, we will continue to expand our business to major cities and plans to open about 10 branches in one year so that Lotus can meet the needs of modern lifestyle for more and more cities “. Not solely to provide the needs of modern lifestyle, the presence of Lotus in Cibubur also contributes to local government, which helped accelerating the achievement of regional autonomy so that Cibubur becomes more independent region. (*)

diving talked about a number of dive sites that fascinated her. “We have Wakatobi, Bunaken, Raja Ampat and Derawan. Those places have to be the main attraction for our marine tourism, “she said. According to Mari, green tourism industry, or eco-tourism, such as diving services on the sea floor should have certain impact to the surrounding community. “Do not harm the environment and local culture for the community can get benefit from those aspects, “she added. Mari admitted that the progress of the tourism industry can not be separated from the efforts of all parties, across sectors, in developing facilities and infrastructure in tourist areas. In Labuan Bajo, according to the minister, one urgent aspect that needs to be done soon is extending the airport runway so that it can serve more flight. “Across Flores roads also need to be built to connect the one area to another, especially to tourist attractions,” she said. Mari believes that the development of tourism sector in the province may be accelerated after President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono gives serious attention to this region. “All we need is to establish coordination with other ministries such as Ministry of Education and Culture and Ministry of Health. We seek to build tourism vocational high-school and international-standard medical clinics in the area of Flores, “she said. (*)

Putu Anindita, Miss Coffee Indonesia 2012

A

s a continuation of Miss Coffee Indonesia 2012 that has been held on 31 May to 5 June 2012 in Jakarta, the Indonesian

Ambassador Association (ADI) will carry out the Miss Coffee International - World Contest 2012 on 15 - 25October, 2012 in Bali - Indonesia. In Miss Coffee International, Indonesia will be represented by Putu Anindita, Miss Coffee Indonesia 2012. In the upcoming international event, Putu will compete with the ambassadors of other coffee-producing countries. “My preparation so far is to learn more about coffee, not only Indonesian coffee, but also coffee from other countries, “Putu said to reporters at the Hotel Dharmawangsa, Jakarta, recently. “In this competition, we do not compete, but it is more about mutual sharing of knowledge about the state coffee from each country,” she added. In addition to learning about coffee from different countries, Putu will also deepen her communicative capability. In addition to knowledge of Indonesia and the world’s coffee, Putu is also equipped with beauty class and other skills classes. “I study English more seriously, so it’ll be easily to communicate with friends from other countries,” she said. When she was asked about her readiness to participate in the contest, Putu said firmly, “Ready or not, I have to be ready and should also be optimistic to win,” she said. On the same occasion, Kuntari Nirwandar, Chairperson of the organizers of Miss Coffee Indonesia 2012 said that it is a great honor that Indonesia was chosen to host this international event. The main reason is because Indonesia

is one of the best coffee producing countries in the world. “The selection of Bali as the venue is because Bali has complete facilities to support the international event like this, as well as promote tourism in the island,” explained Kuntari. Miss Coffee International - World Contest 2012 is an event that brought together the ambassadors of coffee from various countries, to further strengthen cooperation between countries, especially in the coffee industry. The purpose of organizing this event is to look for Coffee Ambassadors who will serve as a spokeperson to deliver message to the world community about the coffee. Miss Coffee International - World Contest 2012 is fully supported by the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economic, Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the AICE (Association of Indonesian Coffee Exporters & Industry) and SCAI (Specialty Coffee Association of Indonesia). On the same occasion, the Ambassador Association of Indonesia (ADI) will launch the Official Website of Miss Coffee International. “By making this website, will certainly help the candidates of Miss Coffee International - World Contest 2012, because through www.misscoffeeinternational.com, participants can register and correspond directly with the committee,” Said Karlina Damiri Chandra, Chairperson of the organizers of Miss Coffee International World Contest 2012. (*)

8

Island Exp lore r


photo by spc

Adventurous trip to Pindul Cave

O

the joint stalactites and stalagmite that formed a pillar. In one part of the cave, there is a flat surface that purportedly was once a hermitage. In this cave there are three protected animals, namely Seriti birds, swallows, and bats. According to the guide, the dark is left dark with no light to protect the bats that live inside. There are parts of the cave which narrows so that it only fits for a rubber tire. Visitors should take turn to go through this part. The guide will help them pulling the rubber tires. Towards the end of the cave, there is a location that can be used to jump. The guides said that once you have jumped, you will ask for more. Some visitors jumped for two and even three times.

photo by spc

ne of the caves that are quite popular in Yogyakarta is Pindul Cave, located in the village of Bejiharjo, Karangmojo, Gunungkidul regency. In Pindul, visitors can explore the cave on rubber tires - or often called “tubing”. Different from most caves in Indonesia that is “dry cave”, Pindul Cave is categorized as a “wet cave”, with the river flowing from the front to the mouth of the cave at the back. The length of the cave is about 300 meters with underground river flowing inside. Located in the village of Bejiharjo, this tourist attraction has been receiving assistance from PNPM Mandiri for Tourism Village. This assistance has enabled a better management for Pindul Cave as a tourism site. Assistance from the Ministry of Tourism and the Creative Economy is mostly used to purchase supporting tools and equipment needed by tourists to explore the cave. Visitors who come and want to explore the cave must register in advance at a cost of Rp 30,000 per person. This fee includes rubber tires, life jackets and guides. Your luggage can be stored in the security, but don’t forget to bring your camera! After registering, you are welcome to bring a rubber tire to the mouth of the cave, which is located about 200 meters from the registration. There, the guide will ask you to pray first and explain the rules and one of them is to not throwing any objects along the trip for the cave management is trying to keep the cleanliness and naturalness of the cave and its surrounding. Pindul cave consists of three parts: the bright, dim, and the dark section. The guides carry a flashlight as they explain about the condition of the cave. Stalactite and stalagmite dominate the cave interior. In some places there are pillars of the cave, which are actually

Up on the outside of the cave, the adventure is not finished yet. Visitors are required to climb from the river to the top using a rope. This activity is deliberately designed to make the trip much more exciting. The cave exploration takes approximately 45 minutes to 1 hour. Exploring Pindul Cave is suitable for those who like adventure, or want to have a family trip. This is a natural cave with stunning panorama. If you have the opportunity to visit Pindul, do not miss a visit to Gelatik Cave and the Monument of General Sudirman who was very close from there. If you want to try another cave exploration on a rubber tire, you can try the one along Oya River, which will take around 1.5 hours. (*)


9 9

10



Bali baliku Luxury Villas offers a casual life style alternative that is free from obvious city pressures. With a golden sand beach front right on the door step, there is a constant reminder of some of the precious qualities that one is often to busy to appreciate. Jimbaran Bay is renewed for it’s “catch of the day” seafood dining and vibrant sunsets over the distant horizon. The bay instils a sense of tranquillity that somehow manages to rebalance the body, mind and spirit.

Jalan Bukit Permai No. 5A, Jimbaran - Bali - Indonesia 80362 p : +62 361 701 848 f : +62 361 701 847 e: [email protected] w. www.balibalikuvilla.com

9 11

Modern Home Comfort that embrance the Balinese way of life

for advertisement please call 0361 727010 email : [email protected]

13


Sapta Nirwandar (left) and Jimmy F Eman visiting the flower plantation in Tomohon

T

omohon is a cool and beautiful city located between Mount Lokon and Mount Mawahu and this has made it into one of the most beautiful cities in North Sulawesi where various beautiful flowers grow. Therefore, the people of Tomohon utilize this condition to cultivate flowers as

a hobby as well as source of income. Flower has become the icon of Tomohon city together with its stunning panorama and interesting tourism. The flowers and tourism are two aspects that make the local Government of Tomohon, in this case the Bureau of Culture and Tourism, sup-

ported by the Ministry of Tourism and the Creative Economy holding the Tomohon International Flower Festival (TIFF) 2012. TIFF 2012 itself was held from August 8 to August 12, 2012. The series of activities were started by the Tournament of Flower (TOF) which took place on Wednesday afternoon. The Queen of Flowers Contest was held on August 10, while on August 11, there was a parade of government and people of Tomohon. TIFF 2012 was opened by drum performance and Cakalele dance, a war dance from North Sulawesi. It was then continued by the parade of cars decorated with colorful flowers along the street in Tomohon city. During the festival, millions of colorful flowers were displayed as a beautiful icon of Tomohon. So far, Tomohon is known as the producer of cut flowers. “We want to expand it to floriculture, and one of them is by holding this festival,” said Tomohon Mayor, Jimmy F Eman when opening TIFF 2012 in Tomohon on Wednesday (08/08/2012). On the same occasion, Deputy Minister of Tourism and the Creative Economy Sapta Nirwandar ih his speech said that even Bandung that is known as the City of Flowers do not have these beautiful flowers. “Tomohon can further develop the industry of flowers, because this area has the potential natural resources,” said Nirwandar. Sapta added that the implementation of TIFF 2012 can serve as a forum for joint tourism promotion in an attempt to increase domestic and foreign tourists visit to North Sulawesi and to Tomohon in particular. “ TIFF 2012 not only promote tourism in Tomohon, but also has an impact on improving the local

L

ake Linow is located in the Village of Lahendong, Tomohon Minahas. It now becomes more popular nationally. More and more foreign tourists know about and visit this tourism site. Panorama around the lake that looks very beautiful is the main attraction of this place. Lake Limow is very unique. It has different colors seen from different perspectives. The color can sometimes be green, light blue, turquoise and even brownish. It is like a magical lake. The lake is located approximately 45-minute drive from the center of Manado city. Before reaching the location, we will pass a public hot spring area in Lahendong. It is a small village that is famous for its hot spring and strong smell of sulfur. The various colors of the lake are caused by

photo by spc

The beautiful color of Lake Linow Tomohon

photo by spc

photo by spc

Millions of Ornamental Flowers to Scent Tomohon

the high sulfur element in the lake. The lake will always look charming no matter what color appears at that time. Linow Lake covers an area of about 34 hectares. In addition to its changing color, on the edge of the lake we can see bubbles of water that looks like boiling water. Therefore there are several warning sign displayed in several places by the security guards of that location. The warning sign reminds the visitors that the water in that location is very hot so that they have to be careful and watch themselves. Around the lake there are many different kinds of plants and beautiful flowers, such as various types of pine trees that add beautiful natural scenery around this location. You can also go around the edges of the lake Linow via the ring road that connects the

various existing entrance. Going around the lake will enable us to see the lake from different sides. Don’t forget to capture your moment there and the beauty of the lake and its surrounding. Another thing that should not be missed is the ecosystems and the nature around the lake. Belibis (grouse) is one of the endemic birds of this area. There is also a unique insect lives in the water, but has wings and can fly. The local people call it “komo”. The admission fee to lake is not too expensive. With Rp25,000-Rp35,000, - you can enjoy the beautiful views of Lake Linow. Near the lake there is a cafe that provides food and drinks such as coffee and even beer. (*)

economy through tourism and creative economy,” said Sapta. Although the number of participants dropped dramatically compared to the 2010’s festival, which reached 88 participants, Tomohon can be proud, because the TIFF 2012 did not use any funds from the local government budget (APBD). The festival had the theme of “Wonderful Tomohon” and was followed by 36 national and international participants. The international participants included France, the United States and Philippine. While the national participants included the Association of Indonesian Municipalities (APEKSI), 15 cities/regencies in North Sulawesi, State-Owned Enterprises (BUMN), Regional-Owned Enterprises (BUMD) and private companies. The number of visitors reached as many as 300,000 people. The entire flowers presented in TIFF 2012 were all planted by the people of Tomohon and this is a great achievement considering that in 2010 some flowers were taken from Rawa Belong, Jakarta. TIFF was firstly held on February 8, 2006 with the name of Tomohon Flower Parade which aimed to improve the tourism sector and the cultivation of flowers in the city. Then the flower parade was made by Mayor of Tomohon into regular event held once every two. Tomohon has many tourism potentials that include the natural and cultural attractions and a variety of tourism attractions. Richness and uniqueness of nature which is owned by the City of Tomohon and supporteed by the availability of accommodation such as Hotel, Cottage and public facilities become great potential for Tomohon to organize events with both national and international scale. (*)


photo by spc

14

Island Exp lore r

Campaigning Indonesia Bersih from Krakal Beach

H

ip-hop puppet with Catur as the puppet master has successfully entertained the visitors of Bazaar Art Opening Party at the Ballroom of the Ritz Carlton Pacific Place, Jakarta recently. Visitors who were mostly the socialites did not stop laughing when they watched Lady Gaga puppet singing for Arjuna or Justin Bieber who were entertaining Banowati. The presence of other puppets such as Petruk, Gareng, and Bagong also triggered people’s laughter. The puppet master, Catur said that he intends to introduce puppet performance to the socialites. In a show that lasted for 30 minutes, some puppet characters such as Banowati was wearing a sexy dress. Other characters such as the trio of Gareng, Petruk, and Bagong were wearing costume of modern young people. “Some of the Mahabharata figures were wearing modern costumes. In the story, Arjuna (which look like conventional puppet) was dreaming, he was in different world with Banowati. Meanwhile, four personnel of hip-hop group that consists of two rappers, vocalists, a sinden (traditional Javanese singer) and a DJ enlivened the show with Javanese as well as contemporary songs. Sometimes they had humorous dialogue with the puppet master, “he said. Catur further explained that hip-hop puppet is one of the modern puppet groups

that consistently develop the art of puppet over the past two years by combining Bahasa Indonesia and simple Javanese language into humorous dialogue. Catur who founded Hip-Hop Puppet on June 10, 2010 was inspired by the development of hip-hop band that uses lyrics in Javanese language. “Recently, there are a lot of hip-hop music groups that work on the songs in Javanese language. Looking at this trend, I was wondering why wouldn’t I apply that to puppet performance. As a result of combining Bahasa Indonesia and Javanese language in puppet performance, many young people and various groups became interested in puppets. Although there are still some cons with Hip-Hop Puppet performance that is packaged in a modern way, “he said. He added that the cons cannot be avoided and in general this puppet show can be accepted among young people. “I don’t think that the cons will ruin the puppet. What I think about is how the puppets in 25 years to come,” Catur said. On the same occasion, Butet Kertaradjasa said that Hip-Hop Puppet is an attempt to bring puppet closer to modern people. “It can serve as a door opener so that people like puppets and would like to know more. After a long time people will surely love the original puppet, “said Butet. (*)

ers of Ngestirejo so that they will always maintain the cleanliness of Krakal Beach. The trashcans and carts were given directly to the villagers’ representative, Sudarto (Chairman of Ngastirejo Village Tourism Awareness Group), by Firmansyah Rahim. On the same occasion, Gunung Kidul Regent Hj

photo by spc

destinations in an effort to improve Indonesia’s image as a tourism destination that is clean and attractive place to visit. “The villagers of Ngestirejo are already aware of the importance of cleanliness and comfort in the region, and it can be seen from their enthusiasm in beach cleanup. Having a village that has a beautiful and natural beach attraction (Krakal), the village community should work together to maintain the cleanliness and comfort to attract more tourists to visit, “said Firmansyah. Firmansyah expects that this will not be the first and last cleanup activities held. It is expected to be continuously held in the region. Cleanliness itself is one of the seven elements of the Seven Charms (safety, cleanliness, orderliness, comfort, beauty, hospitality and enchanting memories) that must be implemented by the villagers of Ngestirejo to make their village as a quality tourist destination that attracts many tourists to come. “The purpose of this movement is to build a culture and behavior in maintaining cleanliness as part of community life and to increase people’s awareness towards the importance of healthy environment through joint efforts and concrete actions, such as beach cleanup,” said Firmansyah. Kemenparekraf also gave 20 trashcans and 2 trash carts as part of its commitment to the villag-

Bringing Hip-Hop Puppet Closer to The Socialite

photo by spc

T

ourism villages in Gunung Kidul, Yogyakarta is now slowly taking shape to prepare themselves to be leading tourism destinations in Yogyakarta. The village community in becoming aware of the importance of the element of Sapta Pesona (Seven Charms) in improving the quality of destinations in the region, and it can be seen from the enthusiasm of local communities involving in the Indonesia Bersih Movement. Hundreds of villagers involved in beach clean activities initiated by Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy (Kemenparekraf) that was held Krakal Ngestirejo in the Ngestirejo tourism village, Gunung Kidul, Yogyakarta, Saturday (08/04/2012). Villagers, local governments and Kemenparekraf officials worked together cleaning Krakal Beach through Indonesia Bersih Movement (GIB) in realizing clean and comfortable beaches. It was attended by Director General Tourism Destination Development Firmansyah Rahin, Gunung Kidul Regent Hj. Badingah, Director of Community Development Bakri and Head of Yogyakarta Tourism Bureau, Tazbir. Firmansyah Rahim said that he was very impressed by the enthusiasm of the village community in supporting the Indonesia Bersih Movement. It was a joint action involving all stakeholders and aspects of the environment surrounding the tourist

Badingah explained that Krakal beach in the village of Ngestirejo in the last two years has experienced a quite drastic increase in terms of tourist arrivals. This is the result of the community’s awareness and efforts in maintaining the cleanliness of the beach area so tourists will feel more comfortable visiting the beach. “Since the provision of PNPM Mandiri assistance last year, Ngestirejo villagers began to realize the importance of maintaining cleanliness and comfort by applying the elements of Seven Charm for tourism development in their area. It can be seen from the beach cleanliness and the well-arrangement of the shops around the beach. Public toilet facilities are also available now, “said Badingah. Badingah further explained that before receiving Tourism PNPM Mandiri program, the beach looked dirty and dingy, the shops were built too close the to the beach. “Not only those, the villagers also rearrange their shops so that they look neat and clean. This is thanks to the development of tourism village program that we have received since last year. It is a communitybased management, “explained Badingah. However, Badingah explained further that electricity and water availability remains a constraint in the development of coastal tourism in Krakal. Thus, it is still difficult for investors to enter. Badingah hopes that in the near future the infrastructure can be realized so that this area can be further developed, given the enormous potential possessed by this area. On the same occasion, Director of Community Development for Kemenparekraf Bakri explained that the activity held in Gunung Kidul, Yogyakarta is part of the 10 Indonesia Bersih activities held in ten provinces in Indonesia, namely the Riau Islands, Bangka Belitung, West Java, Yogyakarta , East Java, Bali, West Nusa Tenggara, East Kalimantan, North Sulawesi and Bengkulu. “The program has been held in four provinces so far, which included East Kalimantan, North Sulawesi, Bengkulu and Yogyakarta. The program aims to encourage people of Indonesia to create clean environment in tourist areas so that it can attract tourists, which in turn boosts the economy of local communities, “said Bakri. Bakri also hoped that Indonesia Bersih Movement is able to stimulate tourism stakeholders, especially around the tourist areas to improve the quality of the product and service as a mirror image of the nation’s cultural and Indonesia’s tourism competitiveness. (*)

n bali o s t wha


15

Favehotel Umalas - Bali Officially Opens

Be The Change. Be The Inspiration. An Evening With Iskandar Widjaja

T

he rapid growth of the tourism industry on Bali Island is inversely proportional to the travel agency business conditions that are even more alarming and difficult to develop. Bali Provincial Tourism Office recorded that there were 628 travel agencies (BPW) registered in 2010 and is now declined to 370 agencies per 2011. Al Purwa, Chairman of the Indonesian Association of Travel Agency (ASITA) Bali said about 350 travel agencies that have joined ASITA, currently only 100-150 companies that still operate. The remaining travel agencies are those with strong capital and also have hospitality business and transportation services so that they can still organize tour packages. “While the remaining largely operates in a very limited condition considering that now hotels and airlines communicate with the public online. The number of people using the service of travel agency is decreasing, “he said. He further said that this condition is getting worse considering the unhealthy competition among travel agency on the island. There are many travel agencies that operate illegally. Based on rough estimation of Asita Bali, there are more than 500 illegal travel agencies operating in Bali today. While Agus Suryawan Wiranatha, Head of Research Center of Culture and Tourism (PPKK) Udayana University, said in general business conditions of authorized and active travel agency in Bali is even more alarming. In addition to the reduced number of tourists handled and the low income, the greatest pressure for travel agency in Bali is caused by unfair competition. “It was a result of unfair competition by freelance and online travel agencies that are not registered or illegal, as well as competition with affiliated travel agencies whose capital comes from foreign investors,” he said. “With a relatively small investment, it will be difficult for them to develop the business and even to compete with travel agencies with bigger capital or affiliated with travel agencies abroad, “he said. It is said that when seeing the composition of capital, today there is an increasing number of national and foreign investors who invest in travel agency business in Bali. In the past year, about 20% of travel agency in Bali involving the national capital from outside the island and about 18% came from abroad. “It has also become a serious threat to the local entrepreneurs of Bali. Moreover, foreign investment is usually followed by cooperation with travel agency abroad. To that end, the government needs to do the arrangement and control of illegal travel agencies as soon as possible in order to provide healthy competition, “he said. He added, moreover, the government should encourage the development of travel agencies that are capable of handling MICE (meetings, incentives, convention and exhibition) tourism and cruise line so that it can create synergy and provide mutual support to the growth. (*)

A

ston International has just opened a trendy hotel with the selected service. Favehotel Umalas is the third Favehotel in Bali and the fiftieth hotel managed by Aston International in Indonesia. The new “Fave” is situated in a privileged location on Jalan Petitenget - Seminyak, adjacent to the village of Umalas and very close to several restaurants and famous night clubs in Bali. With 121 rooms and the concept of fun, fresh and friendly, favehotel Umalas is following the path of faveSeminyak that was opened recently and offers facilities with amenities that are

usually associated with upscale hotels such as swimming pools for adults and children, modern and functional meeting rooms, hotel lobby with an attractive contemporary design, free WiFi and an eclectic café. Every guest room is equipped with LED television, safe deposit box, and luxurious bed and presents the trademark design of fave, which is an energetic and modern touch. Norbert Vas, Vice President of Sales and Marketing Aston International said, favehotel is a hotel with selected service that is always located in the trendy location where usually there are no hotels at affordable prices avail-

able in that location. “We’ve had several fave hotels in interesting locations such as Cenang beach in Langkawi or Seminyak in Bali and the latest fave hote that is located right in the trendy area of Bali and a very suitable location for this brand,” said Norbert. Aston also announced that within two months ahead the group would add 5 favehotel of the 9 fave that have already operated in Indonesia and Malaysia (2 in Jakarta, Kemang and Pasar Baru, 2 in Bali, located in Kuta Square and the By Pass Kuta and one in Yogyakarta in Jalan Kusumanegara). (*)

Pecalang to Prepare Balinese Custom Rules to Protect Coral Reefs

T

he traditional village security officer (pecalang) is preparing custom rules (awig-awig) to protect the sustainability of coral reefs in Pemuteran, Buleleng regency, Bali. Chairman of the Pecalang Supervisory Community of Pemuteran village, Made Gunaksa said that later the awig-awig will contain rules on the exploration of marine potential and coastal spatial planning to preserve coral reefs. “Awig-awig it is essential to the preservation of coral reefs by the local communities to maintain its sustainability in any circumstances. The rules made by the pekraman (custom) village is expected to encourage the community to work together in monitoring the implementation of the rules, “said Made Gunaksa. He further said that the conservation of coral reefs in Pemuteran traditional village has achieved two awards from the UN Development Programme (UNDP). Both awards were received by Karang Lestari Foundation, as a place for the Pemuteran traditional village community in preserving coral reefs, in Brazil in late June 2012. The Pecalang Supervisory Community of Pemuteran village (Pokmaswas) that consists of 36 members also received three speed boats from the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries and Buleleng Fisheries Department.

“The people of Pemuteran now feel the positive impact of coral reef management and sustainable coastal development. Moreover, the

coastal areas of Pemuteran is now beginning to be frequently visited by tourists, “he said. (* / Ant)

photo by spc

Travel Agency in Bali is difficult to Grow

photo by spc

T

he Westin Resort Nusa Dua, Bali is delighted to announce that its next UNICEF Check Out For Children charity event will be a concert by internationally acclaimed Indonesian violinist, Iskandar Widjaja. This exclusive performance will take place in the Nusa Indah Hall on Friday, 24th August 2012. German born Iskandar Widjaja started playing the violin at the tender age of four and he attended the prestigious College of Music in Berlin from the age of 11 onwards. Iskandar was later accepted into the Julius Stern Institute Berlin, a precollege division for the musically gifted. He finally completed his education in 2010 at the University of the Arts in Berlin. Iskandar has given recitals and performed as a soloist as well as chamber musician with esteemed orchestras in famous venues across Europe. His debut album entitled ‘Bach n Blues’ was launched in 2011 and he is now passionate about introducing classical music to Indonesian audiences. Iskandar is blessed with a rare talent that unites people of any age and nationality through his truly inspiring violin music. During his time at The Westin Resort Nusa Dua, Bali, Iskandar Widjaja will conduct an exclusive one hour violin sharing session. He will also work with some of Bali’s most promising violin students and incorporate them into his evening performance. The show will include a musical collaboration with the children from a local choir and close with a photo opportunity and CD signing. Tickets for ‘An Evening with Iskandar Widjaja’ Gala Show are priced at just IDR 50,000-. Limited places for the Violin Sharing Session will be available for IDR 250,000- inclusive of a signed CD, photo memento and certificate. This will be a unique opportunity for budding musicians to meet the prodigy in person. All proceeds will be donated directly to UNICEF to a project that provides educational opportunities and vaccinates children across the Asia Pacific region. Flights for Iskandar Widjaja and his entourage have been generously donated under the sponsorship of Garuda Indonesia. As the country’s national airline carrier, Garuda Indonesia offers a reputable domestic flight services around the archipelago. European passengers can now enjoy the recently launched Amsterdam route which is available 4 times a week from Denpasar-Jakarta-Dubai-Amsterdam and return. For further information please contact Garuda Indonesia call centre at 0.804.1.807 or 021 2351 9999 or visit www.garudaindonesia.com

Bali’s Coffee Exports Up

B

ali’s coffee exports rose to 9.2 tons in the first semester from 3.7 tons in the same period last year, provincial administration spokesman I Ketut Teneng said. Bali earned US$118,178 from the coffee exports in the period up from US$57,534 in

the same period last year, he said here on Thursday. Coffee is one of the island’s plantation products that is able to penetrate export markets besides vanilla. Vanilla exports from the tourist island however have continued to drop reaching only 200 kilograms worth

US$7,996 in the first semester this year down from 38.5 tons worth US$620,568 in the same period last year, he said. Teneng said exports of coffee and vanilla in the form of processes products depend upon supply and demand.(IGT)

16


Sektor Pariwisata Lebih Ramah Lingkungan

S

K

Sekjen Wardiyatmo (kiri) dan Kapuskompublik I Gusti Ngurah Putra saat dialog Renstra Kemenparekraf 2012-2014 dan Isu Kepariwisataan Global di Grand Cemara Hotel, Jakarta.

dan mempromosikan budaya menjadi magnet bagi para turis. “Bicara kebudayaan tidak akan habis. Indonesia punya banyak tarian, belum lagi seni musik luar biasa. Jika lingkungan rusak, kegiatan pariwisata tidak bisa apa-apa. Pariwisata dengan pelestarian alam dan budaya itu harga mati. Tanpa kedua ini, kita tidak bisa apa-apa,” tuturnya. Meski begitu, Wardiyatmo menambahkan, aktivitas pariwisata tidak selamanya bersih. Industri ini juga menyumbang kerusakan sebesar 5 persen, di mana 2 persen di antaranya karena penggunaan kendaraan untuk media transportasi wisatawan. Namun angka tersebut bisa tertutup dengan penjagaan terhadap alam. Wardiyatmo juga menjelaskan bahwa pada tahun 2030 nanti diprediksi wisatawan internasional akan mencapai 1,8 miliar. “Ini berarti selama 18 tahun, pertumbuhannya hampir dua kali lipat,” ungkapnya. Ia menuturkan dalam forum G20 di Meksiko pada 18-19 Juni 2012 dibahas bahwa pariwisata sebagai salah satu sektor yang memiliki kontribusi penting terhadap penciptaan lapangan kerja, pertumbuhan ekonomi, dan penghidupan yang layak. “Tahun ini, merupakan milestone (tonggak) bagi kepariwisataan global, tentunya juga bagi kita sendiri,” kata Wardiyatmo. Dalam forum G20 tersebut dibahas peranan penting pariwisata terhadap perekonomian suatu negara. Indonesia sendiri menjadi satu-satunya negara anggota ASEAN yang bergabung dalam G20. Seperti diungkapkan

Wardiyatmo, G20 adalah sebuah forum kerja sama ekonomi global. “Maju-mundurnya dunia ditentukan oleh forum G20. G20 representasi PDB (produk domestik bruto) sebesar 80 persen dari perdagangan dunia,” tuturnya. Menariknya, dalam forum tersebut, pariwisata dipandang penting dan memberikan peran tak hanya pada perekonomian dunia, tetapi juga peradaban dunia. Pariwisata memberi efek pada pertumbuhan ekonomi, mengurangi kemiskinan, penyediaan lapangan kerja, dan melestarikan lingkungan hidup. Sementara itu, dalam forum T20 atau forum antara menteri-menteri pariwisata yang tergabung dalam G20 dibahas beberapa poin penting seperti kesepakatan bahwa pariwisata adalah industri yang pertama bangkit dari krisis. Pariwisata, lanjut Wardiyatmo, dianggap mampu memulihkan situasi suatu negara pascakrisis seperti krisis alam, krisis ekonomi, maupun krisis politik. Selain itu, pariwisata juga memberikan kontribusi kepada pengembangan infrastruktur dan jasa pariwisata yang dapat memberi keuntungan pada masyarakat lokal. Indonesia melalui Kemenparekraf telah menetapkan target kunjungan wisatawan mancanegara di tahun 2012 sebesar 8 juta. Sedangkan target di 2013, tambah Wardiyatmo, direncanakan sebesar 9 juta. Sebagai gambaran, jumlah kunjungan wisatawan internasional ke ASEAN di tahun 2011 mencapai 77,1 juta. Sebesar 7,6 juta di antaranya berkunjung ke Indonesia. (*)

Ribuan Turis Kunjungi Bali Zoo 2.400 orang. Pemberian makan kepada singa, menjadi salah satu daya tarik bagi pengunjung yang tidak pernah dilewatkan, disamping atraksi menunggangi gajah keliling kebun binatang, dan pertunjukan burung pada jam -jam tertentu juga menjadi daya tarik. Selain itu pengunjung juga antusias untuk berfoto bersama hewan buas dan jnak seperti buaya, binturong, dan tiga bayi harimau putih yang baru lahir di kebun binatang itu, juga banyak menyita perhatian pengunjung. Untuk harga tiket masuk, pengunjung dikenakan Rp60 ribu untuk pengunjung lokal dengan menunjukkan Kartu Tanda Penduduk (KTP) Bali, sedangkan pengunjung domestik dewasa dikenakan Rp75 ribu dan anak - anak usia satu hingga 12 tahun dikenakan

setengah dari harga tersebut atau sekitar Rp37.500. Sementara untuk pengunjung asing, tiket masuk dikenakan 24 dolar AS dan anak - anak sebesar 12 dolar AS.(*)

photo by spc

S

edikitnya tiga ribu orang wisatawan mengunjungi kebun binatang Bali Zoo mengisi libur panjang Lebaran 2012. Public Relations Bali Zoo, Emma Kristiana Chandra, di Denpasar, mengungkapkan bahwa sebagian besar pengunjung tersebut merupakan wisatawan domestik dan lokal. “Selain wisatawan asing, jumlah wisatawan domestik yang berkunjung ke Bali Zoo meningkat cukup signifikan yakni sekitar 20 persen,” katanya. Data dari kebun binatang yang terletak di Desa Singapadu, Kabupaten Gianyar itu, tercatat 3.000 wisatawan domestik berkunjung pada hari pertama libur Lebaran yakni Minggu (19/8) dan Senin (20/8). Jumlah itu meningkat sekitar 25 persen jika dibandingkan periode sama tahun 2011 yang mencapai

photo by spc

Moratorium Hotel hanya Isapan Jempol?

B

ila Anda berada di Bali saat ini bukan sebuah pemandangan aneh bila hotel dan villa bak jamur tumbuh di Badung, Denpasar dan Gianyar. Di tiga Kabupaten di

Bali ini saat ini menjadi sorotan berbagai pihak karena kebijakan moratorium pembangunan hotel tidak lagi digubris sama sekali. Kepala Dinas Pariwisata Bali Ida Bagus Subhiksu mengungkapkan ego otonomi daerah telah menghambat implementasi kebijakan moratorium pembangunan hotel di wilayah Bali selatan. Dimana 3 kabupaten di wilayah Bali selatan yaitu Badung, Denpasar dan Gianyar tetap memberikan ijin pembangunan hotel, walaupun Gubernur Bali telah memberlakukan kebijakan moratorium pembangunan Bali Selatan. Menurut Subhiksu, jika dilihat secara daya dukung dan daya tampung seharusnya pembangunan hotel di Bali selatan harus di mora-

torium. Kenyataanya dengan alasan peningkatan PAD, pemerintah kabupaten tetap mengeluarkan ijin. “Jadi bagaimana provinsi bisa mengatur, sedangkan di kabupaten kelihatannya masih menggebu-gebu karena ingin meningkatkan PAD, kalau kewenangan ini nanti diangkat ke provinsi, itu nanti provinsi bisa lebih banyak mengerem, ini memang hanya wacana,” tutur Ida Bagus Subhiksu, Rabu (13/6/2012) Subhiksu berharap Kabupaten Badung, Denpasar dan Gianyar memperhatikan Rencana tata ruang wilayah (RTRW) provinsi Bali sebelum memberikan ijin pembangunan hotel. Apalagi saat ini jumlah kamar hotel di Bali yang tercatat di Dinas Pariwisata Bali telah mencapai 45.000 kamar. (*)

egiatan Sail Komodo 2013 di Nusa Tenggara Timur (NTT) membutuhkan dana sekitar Rp3,7 triliun terutama untuk perbaikan fasilitas, aksesibilitas, sumber daya manusia, serta infrastruktur kawasan wisata. “Untuk menyukseskan agenda besar menyambut Sail Komodo 2013, pemerintah Provinsi NTT mengajukan dana sebesar Rp3,7 triliun lebih kepada pemerintah pusat untuk mempercepat pembangunan lintas sektor, terutama sektor pariwisata NTT,” kata Kepala Bidang II yang membidangi Ekonomi Badan Perencanaan dan Pembangunan Daerah (Bappeda) NTT Marius jelamu di Kupang. Menurut dia, dana sebesar Rp3,7 triliun akan diminta pemerintah pusat melalui Anggaran Pendapatan dan Belanja Negara (APBN) Perubahan 2012 dan APBN Murni 2013 yang terdistribusi pada semua kementerian. “Sesuai rencana pada APBN Perubahan 2012 akan dianggarkan sekitar Rp1,4 triliun dan pada anggaran murni APBN 2013 sebanyak Rp2,3 triliun,” kata Marius Jelamu. Distribusi anggaran itu adalah Kementerian Kesejahteraan Rakyat (Kesra) Rp15 miliar pada APBN-P 2012 dan Rp25 miliar APBN 2013, dan Kementerian Kelautan dan Perikanan Rp50 miliar pada APBN-P 2012 dan Rp350 miliar pada APBN 2013 untuk mendukung penataan lokasi wisata bahari. Kementerian Pariwisata dan Ekonomi Kreatif Rp50 miliar dari dana APBN-P 2012 dan Rp150 miliar dari APBN 2013 yang akan digunakan untuk pembangunan desa-desa wisata, pembinaan dan pengembangan kelompok-kelompok usaha ekonomi kreatif dan perbaikan fasilitas destinasi wisata serta memfasilitasi pelaku wisata dalam mendukung Sail Komodo 2013. Kementerian Pekerjaan Umum Rp500 miliar pada APBN-P 2012 dan Rp750 miliar pada APBN 2013 untuk peningkatan dan rehabilitasi ruas-ruas jalan menuju destinasi wisata, perbaikan jalan lingkungan, pembangunan jaringan air bersih dan penyediaan tangki air untuk pelayanan air bersih. Kementerian Perumahan Rakyat Rp50 miliar dana APBN-P 2012 dan Rp450 miliar dana APBN 2013 untuk rehabilitasi rumah rakyat pada lokasi destinasi wisata dan penataan kawasan pemukiman penduduk. Kementerian Perhubungan Rp250 miliar untuk APBN-P 2012 dan Rp500 miliar dari APBN 2013 untuk peningkatan Bandara, pelabuhan laut dan terminal, pengadaan kapal penyeberangan dan pengadaan mobil angkutan wisata. Kementerian Kesehatan Rp150 miliar dari APBN-P 2012 dan Rp150 miliar dari APBN 2013 untuk peningkatan rumah sakit di Labuan Bajo, pengadaan mobil ambulans, rehebilitasi puskesmas dan peningkatan sarana puskesmas. Kementerian Pendidikan dan Kebudayaan Rp200 miliar dari APBN-P 2012 dan Rp300 miliar dari APBN 2013 untuk rehabilitasi museum, rumah adat, tempat-tempat bersejarah dan pelaksanaan seminar internasional. Kementerian Energi Sumber Daya Mineral (ESDM) Rp30 miliar dari APBN-P 2012 dan Rp70 miliar dari APBN 2013 untuk pengembangan jaringan listrik pedesaan melalui pengembangan Pembangkit Listrik Tenaga Surya (PLTS) dan Mikrohidro. Kementerian Pertanian Rp25 miliar dari APBN-P 2012 dan Rp75 miliar dari APBN 2013 untuk peningkatan dan rehabilitasi lokasi wisata agro dan pengembangan wisata agro. Kementerian Kehutanan Rp25 miliar dari APBN-P dan Rp50 miliar dari APBN 2013 untuk peningkatan Wisata Taman Nasional Komodo dan peningkatan lokasi wisata pada kawasan hutan. Kementerian Sosial Rp20 miliar dari APBN-P 2012 dan Rp30 miliar dari APBN 2013 untuk peningkatan pembangunan komunitas adat terpencil yang menjadi lokasi destinasi wisata dan peningkatan pelayanan sosial pada masyarakat miskin pada lokasi destinasi wisata. Kementerian Informasi dan Komunikasi Rp10 miliar dari APBN-P 2012 dan Rp40 miliar dari APBN 2013 untuk dukungan informasi dan promosi serta peningkatan jaringan informasi pada lokasi kegiatan. (ant)

Baubau, Tuan Rumah Festival Keraton Nusantara VIII

photo by spc

photo by spc

ektor pariwisata dinilai lebih ramah lingkungan dibanding sektorsektor yang lain. Bahkan pariwisata menjadi kunci pemecahan kasus ‘Global Warming’ yang tengah berlangsung saat ini. Dengan selalu mengedepankan tren ‘Go green’ pariwisata bisa menjadi jawaban penyelamatan bumi. Hal itu dijelaskan Sekjen Kemenparekraf, Wardiyatmo saat dialog Renstra Kemenparekraf 2012-2014 dan Isu Kepariwisataan Global di Grand Cemara Hotel, Jakarta, Selasa beberapa waktu lalu. “Dari UNWTO, pariwisata bisa mengekang pemanasan global, demikian asumsinya,” ujar Wardiyatmo. Hipotesanya, jelas Wardiyatmo, jika pariwisata bisa berkembang di desa maka bisa menekan angka urbanisasi. Sedangkan urbanisasi bisa menciptakan polusi dan efek rumah kaca di kota besar. Jika desa tersebut bisa diurus dan dipercantik, serta penduduknya jadi bagian dalam pariwisata, mereka pun bisa lebih sejahtera dan mengurungkan keinginan untuk keluar desa. “Indonesia setiap tahun pertumbuhannya tinggi, ada 4 juta yang lahir setiap tahun. Angka 4 juta ini setara dengan penduduk Singapura keseluruhan. Banyak anak, perlu cari kerjaan semakin banyak,” katanya. Semakin banyaknya penduduk maka kebutuhan pun meningkat. Ambil contoh sederhana, seperti diungkapkan Wardiyatmo, Indonesia setiap harinya perlu tersedia 240 juta piring nasi. Jika makan tiga kali sehari, maka itu artinya 720 piring nasi. Nasi dihasilkan dari beras yang perlu lahan untuk menanamnya. “Akhirnya merusak alam. Apalagi kalau tidak mendapat pekerjaan, cenderung makin merusak alam. Kalau di desa saja sudah bisa dapat pekerjaan dari pariwisata, alam pasti dijaga karena alam menjadi produk pariwisata mereka,” jelasnya. “Dampak positif selanjutnya adalah pariwisata bisa membantu melestarikan lingkungan hidup,” lanjutnya. Wardiyatmo mengatakan, alam yang cantik dan lestari bisa jadi sumber daya pariwisata. Dengan menjaga alam agar tetap sehat, maka sama dengan menjaga produk pariwisata. Semakin banyak dikunjungi turis, diharapkan pemerintah dan masyarakat setempat bisa makin giat menjaga kelestarian. Selain dua hal itu, ada satu lagi dampak positif pariwisata. “Pariwisata bisa melestarikan kebudayaan,” katanya. Menurut Wardiyatmo, dengan adanya pembangunan pariwisata, negara-negara berlomba-lomba untuk menggali kebudayaan masing-masing. Jika tadinya suatu negara bisa dengan mudah melupakan budayanya, lain halnya jika budaya tersebut jadi sumber daya wisata. Mereka bisa kembali menggali

Sail Komodo 2013 butuh dana Rp3,7 triliun

K

esultanan Buton Baubau, Sulawesi Tenggara bakal menjadi tuan rumah Festival Keraton Nusantara (FKN) VIII tahun 2012. Festival bertema Nusantara Pusaka Dunia ini akan berlangsung pada 1-4 September 2012. Walikota Baubau Amirul Tamim mengatakan Festival akan dihadiri sekitar 155 kerajaan, kesultanan, dan lembaga adat Nusantara. Kegiatan dua tahunan ini bertujuan mempertahankan keberagaman adat istiadat dan budaya serta kekerabatan di antara kesultanan, kerajaan, dan lembaga adat nusantara. “Festival juga akan mengadakan pameran benda pusaka, royal food kuliner, dialog budaya, dan kesenian tari klasik,” ujarnya. Di Baubau sendiri terdapat benteng terbesar di dunia, yakni benteng Kraton Buton dengan luas mencapai 22,8 hektare. Secara historis, keberadaan benteng ini membuat Baubau menjadi wilayah paling aman dan kerap menjadi tempat mengungsi. “Dari dulu, tiap ada perang, Sultan Baubau selalu melindungi tamu yang datang dan sampai sekarang, Baubau masih menjadi tempat pengungsian puluhan ribu orang korban kerusuhan Ambon beberapa tahun lalu,” ungkapnya. (*)

17


Alunan Musik GBN Bangkitkan Semangat Persatuan negeri. Ada beberapa paduan suara mahasiswa seperti paduan suara dari Universitas Pelita Harapan (UPH) yang belum lama ini tampil di Shanghai, China, Paduan Suara Universitas Padjajaran Bandung yang tampil di Swiss dan sebagainya.

photo by spc

Latihan Intensif

Konser perdana Gita Bahana Nusantara di Gedung Sapta Pesona, Jakarta belum lama ini.

M

usik merupakan bagian dari kebudayaan yang dapat dijadikan alat untuk mempersatukan bangsa Indonesia. Lewat musik dan lagu, dapat menghilangkan perbedaan dan memunculkan rasa persatuan dan kesatuan di antara masyarakat Indonesia. Wakil Menteri Pariwisata dan Ekonomi Kreatif Sapta Nirwandar mengatakan musik dan lagu dapat pula membangkitkan rasa bangga sebagai warga negara Indonesia. “Lagu dan musik memberikan kesan yang mendalam. Oleh sebab itu, dalam menyanyikan lagu

atau memainkan musik, ekspresi sangat penting. Kalau lagunya gembira, maka mimik wajah kita harus gembira,” ujar Sapta Nirwandar usai menyaksikan konser perdana Gita Bahana Nusantara di Gedung Sapta Pesona, Jakarta belum lama ini. Menurut Sapta, pembentukan Gita Bahana Nusantara ini bertujuan untuk menjaring bakat generasi muda khususnya di bidang seni suara dan seni musik. Dia menambahkan, lagu dan musik juga dapat digunakan untuk menanamkan nilai-nilai budaya Indonesia, meningkatkan apresiasi seni di kalangan generasi muda.

DMO Prioritaskan Masyarakat Lokal

“Semangat persatuan dan kesatuan serta patriotisme dan nasionalisme juga dapat kita tumbuhkan lewat lagu dan musik,” lanjut Sapta. Menurutnya, sudah ada beberapa paduan suara Indonesia yang tampir di luar negeri sekaligus untuk mempromosikan Indonesia kepada negara lain. Paduan suara dan orkestra ini akan tampil di Istana Negara pada peringatan HUT RI ke-67 tahun. Sebelumnya, mereka akan tampil di Gedung DPR MPR pada 16 Agustus 2012. Sapta menjelaskan, paduan suara juga dapat digunakan untuk mempromosikan Indonesia ke luar

Sementara itu Menteri Pariwisata dan Ekonomi Kreatif Mari Elka Pangestu sehari sebelumnya sempat berkunjung ke tempat pelatihan Gita Bahana Nusantara di Wiladatika, Cibubur. Pada kesempatan tersebut, Menparekraf mengaku kagum melihat lagu-lagu yang dibawakan oleh Gita Bahana Nusantara. Menparekraf Mari Pangestu berfoto bersama seluruh personil Gita Bahana Nusantara 2012 disela latihannya di Cibubur. “Keren abis. Saya merinding mendengar nyanyian yang mereka bawakan. Saya bangga,” ujarnya. Dia menambahkan, Indonesia merupakan Negara yang kaya dengan lagu-lagu daerah dan kebudayaan. Menurutnya, seni Indonesia sangat tinggi dan potensinya sangat luar biasa untuk menunjang ekonomi kreatif. Mari mengaku dirinya tidak pandai bernyanyi dan main musik. Meski demikian, pada kesempatan tersebut, dia menghimbau kepada para peserta Gita Bahana Nusantara untuk menunjukkan semangat dalam bernyanyi mengingat mereka akan menyanyikan lagu di lapangan terbuka. “Semangatnya harus ditingkatkan dan jangan lupa senyum. Hal ini akan terasa, terutama bagi penonton,” lanjutnya. Gita Bahana Nusantara dibentuk oleh Departemen Kebudayaan dan Pariwisata pada tahun 2003 dalam bentuk orkestra dan paduan suara yang diwakili oleh pelajar dan mahasiswa dari 33 provinsi. Para pelajar dan mahasiswa ini dijaring melalui seleksi yang sangat ketat. Program ini dilanjutkan kembali oleh Kementerian Pariwisata dan Ekonomi Kreatif. Gita Bahana Nusantara dibentuk sebagai upaya untuk melestarikan dan mengembangkan khasanah lagu nasional yang sarat dengan makna heroisme dan patriotisme. Paduan lagu nasional dengan instrument musik modern dikemas menjadi suatu alunan irama dalam pagelaran orkestra lengkap. Gita Bahana Nusantara 2012 didukung oleh 199 peserta yang terdiri dari 132 peserta paduan suara dan 66 peserta orkestra. Pada tahun ini dihadirkan solois Brian Putra Simarmata dari provinsi Nusa Tenggara Barat. (*)

48 Daya Tarik Wisata Lolos Nominasi Cipta Award 2012

photo by Tri Wibowo

M

embangun suatu destinasi pariwisata perlu keterlibatan masyarakat lokal, karena mereka yang bersentuhan langsung dengan suatu daya tarik wisata. Hal tersebut menjadi salah satu prinsip penting dalam tata kelola destinasi pariwisata atau Destination Management Organization (DMO). “Membangun kepariwisataan daerah harus dimulai dari masyarakat lokal. Mereka yang lebih tahu daerahnya,” jelas Kasubdit Kawasan Pengembangan Destinasi Pariwisata Kementerian Pariwisata dan Ekonomi Kreatif (Kemenparekraf), Torang Nasution saat diskusi Perspektif Pengembangan DMO dan Desa Wisata di Hotel Grand Cemara, Jakarta belum lama ini. Torang menuturkan tata kelola suatu destinasi pariwisata harus berbasis pada masyarakat dan kepuasan wisatawan. Oleh sebab itu, dalam pelaksanaan DMO harus melibatkan pemangku kepentingan mulai dari masyarakat lokal, industri pariwisata, pemerintah daerah setempat, dan pemerintah pusat. Dia juga mengungkapkan bahwa manajemen destinasi pariwisata di Indonesia masih rendah. Tata kelola destinasi pariwisata pun harus melalui beberapa tahap, dengan tahap pertama berupa penguatan gerakan kesadaran kolektif pemangku kepentingan. “Banyak daerah yang belum paham pentingnya pengembangan pariwisata daerah,” ungkapnya. Torang merujuk kepada pemerintah daerah yang belum memiliki kesadaran pariwisata sehingga daerahnya belum berkembang sebagai destinasi wisata. Pemerintah melalui Kementerian Pariwisata dan Ekonom Kreatif telah menetapkan 15 destinasi sebagai tempat pelaksanaan DMO. Destinasi tersebut untuk Pulau Sumatera antara lain Danau Toba (Sumatera Utara) dan Sabang (Aceh). Sementara Pulau Jawa antara lain Pangandaran (Jawa Barat), Java Promo-Borobudur (Jawa Tengah), Kota Tua Jakarta (DKI Jakarta), dan Bromo-Tengger-Semeru (Jawa Timur). Daerah Bali dan Nusa Tenggara antara lain Regional Bali-Danau Batur (Bali), Rinjani (NTB), dan Komodo-KelimutuFlores (NTT). Sedangkan untuk Pulau Sulawesi, Pulau Kalimantan, dan Indonesia bagian timur antara lain Bunaken (Sulawesi Utara), Toraja (Sulawesi Selatan), Raja Ampat (Papua Barat), Wakatobi (Sulawesi Tenggara), Tanjung Puting (Kalimantan Tengah), dan Derawan (Kalimantan Timur). Untuk lebih memudahkan dalam pelaksanaan DMO, 15 kawasan ini dibagi ke dalam empat cluster yaitu kluster heritage (situs bersejarah atau budaya) seperti Kota Tua dan Toraja, kluster ekowisata seperti Tanjung Puting dan Pangandaran, kluster geopark seperti Danau Toba dan Danau Batur, dan kluster marine (bahari) seperti Bunaken. Program tersebut telah berlangsung sejak 2010 dan direncanakan akan terus berjalan hingga 2014. Sejauh ini, Danau Toba dan Pangandaran menjadi dua DMO yang dinilai sudah memasuki tahap pengembangan manajemen berupa pembuatan rencana pengelolaan, dan peningkatan kapasitas pengembangan pariwisata, revitalisasi destinasi, fasilitas, dan akses. (*)

D

emi lebih meningkatkan pengelolaan dan kualitas daya tarik Wisata di Indonesia, Kementerian Pariwisata dan Ekonomi Kreatif (Kemenparekraf) menggelar kompetisi Anugerah Citra Pesona Wisata (Cipta Award) 2012. Hasil seleksi yang dilakukan dewan juri berhasil meloloskan 48 destinasi yang jadi nominasi dari 144 destinasi yang mendaftar untuk mendapatkan penghargaan tersebut. Anugerah Citra Pesona Wisata (Cipta Award) 2012 telah memasuki kali ke-3. Penghargaan ini diberikan kepada destinasi wisata yang tersebar di seluruh Indonesia. Semua destinasi bebas mengikuti penghargaan ini. “Kita coba menilai pariwisata yang sudah dikelola oleh pemerintah atau pemerintah daerah,” kata Dirjen Pengembangan Destinasi Pariwisata Kemenparekraf, Firmansyah Rahim dalam jumpa pers Cipta

Firmansyah Rahim

Award 2012 di Gedung Sapta Pesona, Jakarta belum lama ini. Penghargaan ini menilai 3 aspek utama yaitu lingkungan, sosial budaya dan ekonomi. Dari 144 destinasi yang sudah mendaftar, ada 48 destinasi yang lolos verifikasi. Destinasi tersebut berasal dari 25 provinsi di Indonesia. Angka tersebut lumayan meningkat dari yang tahun lalu. Namun Kemenparekraf untuk sementara ini merahasiakan nama 48 destinasi tersebut. “Setelah diverifikasi, akhirnya dipilih 48 destinasi,” ujar Firmansyah. Ada 7 juri yang akan menilai 48 tempat wisata ini. Selesai menilai, akan ada 27 destinasi yang akan menjadi nominasi. Dari nominasi tersebut, dipilih 9 tempat yang akan jadi pemenang. Masing-masing pemenang akan mendapat uang sebesar Rp 25 juta dan pemenang terbaik akan mendapat piala penghargaan.

Dewan juri terdiri dari Prof. Yuwana Mardjuka (pakar suistainable tourism Indonesia), Ary Suhandi (praktisi pariwisata berkelanjutan dan ekowisata serta executive director INDECON), Junus Satrio Atmodjo (staf ahli menteri bidang hubungan antar lembaga dan pakar kebudayaaan), Achyaruddin (direktur wisata minat khusus, konvensi, insentif dan even, kemenparekraf), Dea Sudarman (staf khusus menteri bidang program khusus, kemenparekraf), Johnnie Sugiarto (direktur yayasan El John Indonesia dan pakar komunikasi pariwisata) dan Arys Buntoro (executive direktur pakar sustainable tourism). Penilaian berdasar dari banyak hal dan mengutamakan perkembangan yang positif dari destinasi tersebut. “Penilaian lebih ke managemen pengelolaannya, tak selamanya destinasi yang mewah akan jadi pemenangnya,” lanjut Firmansyah. Sementara itu salah satu juri, Prof. Yuwana Mardjuka menjelaskan, fokus penilaian diutamakan pada management (pengelolaaan) daya tarik Wisata dengan mengacu tiga aspek, yaitu lingkungan, sosial budaya dan aspek ekonomi. “Adapun kategori yang dikompetisikan adalah daya tarik alam, budaya dan buatan, baik yang dikelola pemerintah daerah, BUMN/ BUMD/BUMS, LSM/Masyarakat/Perorangan,” ujar Yuwana. Penilaian akan dilakukan secara mendadak sehingga para juri bisa menilai keadaan yang sebenarnya. Peninjauan langsung ke lapangan akan dilaksanakan pada 30 Juli-10 September 2012. Pengumuman pemenang akan diadakan pada tanggal 27 September 2012 di Jakarta, bertepatan dengan Hari Pariwisata Dunia. Dengan diberikannya penghargaan ini diharapkan memberikan motivasi bagi para pengelola untuk bisa mewujudkan daya tarik wisata yang berwawasan lingkungan, berkelanjutan dan berdaya saing. (*)

18


Jumpa pers pertengahan tahun Kemenparekraf di Jakarta belum lama ini

K

ementerian Pariwisata dan Ekonomi Kreatif (Kemenparekraf) menargetkan 245 juta wisatawan nusantara (wisnus) untuk berwisata keliling Indonesia. Bulan paling ramai diramalkan akan terjadi para Mei hingga Agustus. Kemenparekraf menargetkan tahun 2012 diperkirakan 245 juta turis dalam negeri bisa berwisata di Indonesia. Sejauh ini, target positif bisa tercapai. Ini terlihat dari adanya peningkatan traveling para turis domestik sebesar 3,5 persen pada semester pertama. Pada bulan Mei hingga Agustus, turis domestik diperkirakan akan sering traveling. Hal ini terkait meningkatnya pendapatan, jumlah kelas menengah, perbaikan infrastruk-

tur dan meningkatnya budget airlines. “Peluang untuk meningkatkan pencapaian wisatawan nusantara terbuka lebar karena antara bulan Mei-Agustus adalah masa peak season,” ujar Menteri Pariwisata dan Ekonomi Kreatif, Mari Elka Pangestu saat jumpa pers di Jakarta belum lama ini. Hal tersebut terjadi karena anak-anak sekolah sedang libur pada bulan Juni dan Juli. Apalagi mahasiswa, mereka libur mulai dari Juli hingga September. Waktu libur yang cukup panjang itu menarik minat mereka untuk traveling ke beberapa destinasi di Indonesia. “Khusus di Indonesia, setelah liburan sekolah pada Juni-Juli. Jadi diharapkan, intensitas orang untuk bepergian sekaligus mengunjungi

Atasi Perkembangan Wisatawan, Lombok Tambah 1000 Kamar Hotel

P

S

hiasan mutiara, ukiran cukli, anyaman ketak atau wisata kuliner Ayam Taliwang. “Selain itu, minat warga untuk wisata petualangan ke Gunung Rinjani, sekarang ada upaya menjaga keasrian lingkungan di Rinjani. Misalnya, dengan penyediaan jembatan dan

photo by spc

esatnya pertumbuhan kunjungan wisatawan ke Nusa Tenggara Barat (NTB) pada tahun ini sesuai dengan target pemerintah mendatangkan 1 juta wisatawan. Untuk menunjang kenyamanan wisman, sejumlah hotel mempercepat pembangunan fasilitas mereka. Jumlah kamar yang tersedia di Lombok pun meningkat 1.000 kamar menjadi total 3.500 kamar di lebih dari 25 hotel. Kepala Dinas Kebudayaan dan Pariwisata NTB, Lalu Gita Ariyadi mengatakan sejumlah hotel baru itu memilih lokasi di Senggigi, Gili Trawangan, kota Mataram maupun di kawasan wisata Mandalika, Lombok Tengah. “Selain hotel, jumlah restoran juga naik, setahun terakhir, ada banyak restoran yang menyajikan menu lokal maupun internasional. ‘Kami sudah melakukan banyak perbaikan dan penyediaan berbagai fasilitas terbaik untuk kepentingan wisatawan,’’ ujarnya. Dikatakan, saat ini, destinasi favorit yang dikunjungi adalah Senggigi, Gili Indah (terdiri dari pulau Gili Trawangan, Gili Meno dan Gili Air), Taman Narmada, Kuta Mandalika, selain wisata kota yang memiliki potensi menawarkan cinderamata diantaranya berupa kerajinan per-

pegangan pengaman di tepi tebing Rinjani, shelter, toilet dan bak sampah,” katanya. Ditambahkannya, untuk sampah, kami berikan kompensasi kepada porter yang membawanya pulang. (*)

Pantai Senggigi di Lombok

photo by Tri Wibowo

objek wisata lebih tinggi dari biasanya,” lanjut Mari. Yang membuat periode Mei hingga Agustus memiliki potensi yang besar adalah karena Lebaran jatuh pada pertengahan Agustus. Pada saat Lebaran, mereka pulang ke kampung halaman. Secara tidak langsung mereka melakukan perjalanan dan hal ini berimbas langsung pada target yang ingin dicapai Menparekraf. “Lebaran akan jatuh pada pertengahan bulan Agustus ini,” kata Mari. Arus mudik penduduk kota menambah angka di dalam target perjalanan wisatawan nusantara (wisnus) 2012 ini. Kemenparekraf menargetkan pergerakan wisnus tahun 2012 mampu mencapai 245 juta perjalanan, dan target total pengeluaran wisnus sebesar Rp 171,5 triliun (USD 18 miliar). Nilai pengeluaran wisnus dua kali dari perkiraan perolehan devisa dari wisatawan mancanegara yaitu USD 9 miliar/Rp 85 triliun. “Pengeluaran wisnus dinilai bisa menggerakkan perekonomian daerah, karena mayoritas perjalanan turis domestik ke daerah-daerah dengan membelanjakan uangnya untuk transportasi, akomodasi, makan-minum, serta membeli cinderamata dan oleh-oleh,” ujar Mari. Dari data yang didapat dari Biro Pusat Statistisk (BPS) dan Pusat Data (Pusdatin) Kemenparekraf, perkembangan perjalanan wisnus sedang berada di titik terang. Pada semester pertama tahun 2012, perjalanan wisnus meningkat sebesar 3,5 persen. Beberapa tempat favorit para turis adalah Candi Borobudur, Prambanan, Pulau Komodo dan Wakatobi. “Dulu, Pulau Komodo mayoritas didatangi wisatawan mancanegara. Sekarang wisnus sudah lumayan banyak yang ke sana,” tambah Mari. (*)

Toilet Bersih Tingkatkan Kenyamanan Wisatawan

Jumpa pers penghargaan sapta pesona toilet umum bersih di Grand Sahid Jaya Hotel, Jakarta belum lama ini

T

oilet umum bersih khususnya yang berada di Taman Rekreasi Buatan pada tahun ini akan dianugerahi penghargaan oleh Kementerian Pariwisata dan Ekonomi Kreatif (Kemenparekraf). Kegiatan tersebut sebagai salah satu upaya untuk memberikan kenyamanan wisatawan dan meningkatkan citra destinasi pariwisata di Indonesia. “Penghargaan Sapta Pesona Toilet Umum Bersih di Taman Rekreasi Buatan 2012 dimaksudkan untuk memberikan apresiasi dan meningkatan motivasi kepada Pengelola Taman Rekreasi,” kata Dirjen Pengembangan Destinasi Pariwisata, Kemenparekraf, Firmansyah Rahim saat jumpa pers di Grand Sahid Jaya Hotel, Jakarta belum lama ini. Menurut Firmansyah, hal itu dalam rangka mewujudkan Sadar Wisata dan menerapkan unsur Sapta Pesona yaitu: Aman, Tertib, Bersih, Sejuk, Indah, Ramah, dan Kenangan. Firmansyah mengatakan, pemberian penghargaan tersebut juga dimaksudkan untuk meningkatkan citra destinasi pariwisata serta mutu produk dan mutu pelayanan pengelolaan toilet yang ada di Taman Rekreasi Buatan sebagai cermin budaya dan jati diri masyarakat di Indonesia. Kesempatan sama, Bakri, Direktur Pemberdayaan Masyarakat Pariwisata mengatakan pemberian penghargaan untuk toilet bersih sendiri merupakan kelanjutan dari Penghargaan Toilet Umum Bersih di Bandara, Museum, dan Kebun Binatang yang telah terlaksana sejak 2007. “Untuk kegiatan penilaian Penghargaan Sapta Pesona Toilet Umum Bersih di Taman Rekreasi Buatan 2012 mulai dilaksanakan pada 14 Mei hingga 9 September 2012 di 16 provinsi dengan jumlah 62 Taman Rekreasi Buatan,” ujar Bakri. Sedangkan untuk pemberian Penghargaan Sapta Pesona Toilet Umum Bersih di Taman Rekreasi Buatan 2012 akan dilaksanakan di Jakarta pada 27 September 2012 bertepatan dengan peringatan Hari Pariwisata Dunia. Sejumlah Dewan Juri untuk kegiatan Penghargaan Sapta Pesona Toilet Umum Bersih di Taman Rekreasi Buatan 2012 terdiri atas Naning S. Adiwoso (Ketua Asosiasi Toilet Indonesia/ ATI), Eni Budiardjo (Asosiasi Toilet Indonesia/ATI), Sudaryatmo (Yayasan Lembaga Konsumen Indonesia/YLKI). Selain itu Gunawan Wibisono (Perhimpunan Usaha Taman Rekreasi/PUTRI), Hasanuddin Harahap (Asosiasi Pengusaha Hiburan Indonesia/ASPEHINDO), Hawwid Raden (Gabungan Industri Pariwisata Indonesia/GIPI), Hilda Sabri (Media Bisnis Indonesia), Nani Sumaryati (Pemerhati Toilet Indonesia), dan Titiek Ediati (Pemerhati Toilet Indonesia). Firmansyah berharap dengan adanya pemberian Penghargaan Toilet Umum Bersih di Taman Rekreasi Buatan maka akan mendorong masyarakat untuk lebih peduli dalam menggunakan Toilet Umum. “Dan kepada para pengelola toilet dituntut agar selalu merawat dan menjaga kebersihan dalam upaya meningkatkan mutu pelayanan kepada para wisatawan baik domestik maupun mancanegara. Ini semua demi destinasi pariwisata yang lebih baik agar mampu mendongkrak minat wisatawan terhadap destinasi pariwisata di Indonesia,” ungkap Firmansyah Rahim. Sementara itu, Naning S. Adiwoso, Ketua Asosiasi Toilet Indonesia (ATI) mengatakan toilet bersih jadi salah satu infrastruktur untuk pariwisata. Semakin bersih dan banyak public toilet, semakin besar kemungkinan wisatawan mancanegara untuk datang. “Tak ada wisatawan yang mau pergi ke suatu negara kalau toiletnya rata-rata nggak bersih,” ungkap Naning. (*)

Festival Seudati 2012 Angkat Pariwisata Aceh

ebuah festival tari bertaraf internasional siap digelar di Bireun, Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam (NAD). Negeri Serambi Makkah ini akan menggelar Festival Tari Seudati 2012 yang akan diikuti berbagai negara tetangga. Rencananya, Festival Tari Seudati 2012 akan digelar pada bulan Oktober 2012. Kabupaten Bireun pun dipilih sebagai tuan rumah penyelenggaraan event besar ini. Festival Seudati 2012 ditargetkan mampu mempromosikan wisata dan budaya Aceh. Wakil Menteri Pariwisata dan Ekonomi Kreatif Sapta Nirwandar mengatakan event ini tidak hanya mampu mempromosikan pariwisata Aceh tetapi juga budaya masyarakat setempat di level yang lebih luas terutama kawasan ASEAN “Festival yang direncanakan digelar pada September atau Oktober 2012 tersebut akan menjadi awal promosi yang baik untuk pelaksanaan program Visit Aceh 2013,” ujar Sapta Nirwandar da-

lam peluncuran Festival Tari Seudati Aceh 2012 di Jakarta belum lama ini. Seudati dipilih sebagai festival, kata dia, lantaran keunikan, kekhasan, dan potensinya sebagai salah satu produk budaya masyarakat Aceh. “Dan ini èvent` ini mendapatkan respons yang positif dari masyarakat Aceh sehingga diharapkan bisa memberikan dampak yang baik pula bagi masyarakat,” terang Sapta. Sementara itu, Direktur Promosi Pariwisata Dalam Negeri Kemenparekraf M. Faried mengatakan, pihaknya memberikan dukungan penuh terhadap acara tersebut. “Dana untuk penyelenggaraan acara ini didukung penuh oleh APBN 2012 senilai hampir satu miliar rupiah,” katanya. Untuk menjadi event tahunan, pihaknya meminta mulai tahun depan harus ada keikutsertaan pemerintah daerah setempat untuk mendanai pelaksanaan festival.

Bupati Bireuen H. Ruslan M. Daud menambahkan, pelaksanaan Festival Seudati 2012 menjadi memomentum yang berharga di tengah maraknya klaim pihak asing terhadap budaya Indonesia. Ia berharap, dengan semakin banyaknya festival serupa tidak ada lagi isu klaim yang mencuat atas budaya Indonesia sebagai warisan budaya bangsa lain. “Selain itu kami juga merasa bangga atas perhatian pemerintah dalam memperkenalkan Tari Seudati secara luas dan menjadikannya sebagai èvent` nasional. Kami berharap ini juga akan terus merambah menjadi èvent` internasional,” katanya. Sektor pariwisata di Aceh selama ini memberikan kontribusi yang besar terhadap pendapatan asli daerah. Jumlah wisatawan mancanegara ke Aceh pada 2011 tercatat sebanyak 29.500 orang, sementara jumlah pergerakan wisatawan nusantara ke Aceh pada tahun yang sama mencapai

959.000 orang. Pihaknya berharap, penyelenggaraan berbagai festival menjelang maupun selama program Visit Aceh 2013 termasuk Festival Seudati 2012 mampu mendongkrak jumlah wisatawan ke Aceh hingga mencapai lebih dari 20 persen. (*)

photo by spc

photo by Tri Wibowo

Mei - Agustus Puncak Pergerakan Wisatawan Nusantara

Launching Festival Tari Seudati Aceh 2012

LAMPUNG Hosts 18th. TIME 2012

The 18th. Tourism Indonesia Mart & Expo (TIME) or Pasar Wisata Indonesia 2012 will, for the second year running take place in Bandar Lampung, capital of Lampung Province in the southern part of Sumatra from 9 – 12 October 2012 at the Graha Wangsa. TIME will be held in conjunction with the Krakatau Festival, Lampung’s most important annual event. Lampung is lacated west of Jakarta on the island of Sumatra across the Sunda Strait where lies the still active remains of the oncemighty Krakatau volcano, now better known as Anak Krakatau – or Child of Krakatau in the Ujung Kulon – Krakatau National Park. Lampung is also sanctuary to the Sumatran elephants as well as the Sumatran rhinoceros in its extensive Way Kambas National Park. Lampung is also loved for its surf and white sand beaches, besides its beautiful woven handicrafts. Chairperson of TIME 2012 Steering Committee, Meity Robot, said “TIME is the only international contractual travel mart in Indonesia with a direct business to business concept. The event is a meeting place for those who sell tourism products and services of Indonesia (sellers) to the international market (buyers). TIME is Indonesia’s only mart listed in the calendar of international travel marts together with ITB Berlin, WTM London, Arabian Travel Mart (ATM), PATA Travel Mart, and other similar world prestigious events. TIME 2012 will present all Indonesia’s tourist destinations, including popular and newly discovered travel destinations, tourism objects, and new product developments,” Meity continued. TIME 2011 attracted 77 buyers from 27 countries, with top five buyer countries from the Netherlands, India, Singapore, USA, Indonesia, Korea, and Singapore. TIME 2011 also attracted a total of 84 sellers from 64 companies from various provinces in Indonesia, dominated by Jakarta, Bali, Central Java, Yogyakarta, West Java, East Java, Lampung, North Sumatera, Central Sulawesi, and West Nusa Tenggara. The percentage share of sellers based on industry were Hotels, Resorts & Spa (75%), NTOs (10%), Tour Operators/Travel Agents (7%), Adventure/Activity Holidays (3%), Airlines (1.5%), and others (Hotel Management, Tourism Board, Tourism Organizations & Travel Portals (8.5%). TIME 2011 has booked an estimated USD 15.7 million in transactions, a decrease of approximately 10% compared to last year’s TIME in Lombok, West Nusa Teggara. Despite the decrease, we saw new buyers attending TIME last year. They were from Slovakia, Mexico, Czech Republic, The Phillippines, and Thailand. Furthermore, we also saw that almost fifty percent of sellers attending TIME last year were first timers, including sellers from the Lampung province itself” Meity concluded. Organized by the Indonesian Tourism Council (MPI), TIME 2012 is supported by the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy of Indonesia, the Provincial Government of Lampung, and the travel and tourism industry in Indonesia, namely Garuda Indonesia as Official Airline, Association of the Indonesian Tours & Travel Agencies (ASITA) Lampung, Indonesian Conference and Convention Association (INCCA), Indonesia Hotel and Restaurant Association (PHRI) Lampung, and Pacto Convex as the event organizer. TIME 2012 is also supported by national and international media.

TA KE A W H I R L TH R O U G H T HE T R O P I C A L D IVE R SITY O F I ND O NE S I A

owns vast marine biodiversity, with destinations such as Wakatobi, Weh Island, Bali, and Bunaken Marine Park. Raja Ampat, home of over 537 coral species, has seven Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). With continuous dedication, hopefully these pristine sites will continue to thrive. Come and discover Indonesia’s underwater treasure for yourself. www.indonesia.travel

indonesiatravel

@indtravel

Harmony in Baliem Valley. Jayawijaya - Papua. Your ultimate lifestyle retreat in paradise. Vol. VII No. 8, 2012

Recommend Documents