Tour de Singkarak. Tour de Singkarak travel packages. travel packages. - Indonesia Tourism News

Your ultimate lifestyle retreat in paradise

Vol. VII No. 6, 2012

Tour de Singkarak travel packages www.ultimoparadiso.com - Indonesia Tourism News

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Vol. VII No. 6, 2012 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] MARKETING GRAPHIc DESIGNER

photo by tri wibowo

Cooperation between the event organizers (EO), local government, police and security forces and the community has shown a proportional understanding on how the popularity of the successful implementation of the TdS 2012 abroad will bring positive results to the development of tourism in West Sumatra. Every day the track with the length over 100 kilometers should be “sterilized” or closed to all traffic, one hour before the start and after all the cyclists passed. “It shows that the government, media, and community leaders in West Sumatra have been actively participating and successfully socialized the event that has the concept of sport and tourism,” said M. Faried. Foreign reporters and writers who follow the event were also expressed their satisfaction and admiration. From the technical point of international class race bike, the roads along the route have met the expectations of all parties, the quality of the highway down to the outposts of the area they claimed to be “comfortable” and “challenging”. (*)

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]

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.

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TdS expressed their confidence that West Sumatra as a tourism destination is now becoming more conducive to create 3 to 6-day tourism packages for tourists to enjoy Sumatra as a tourist destination. “We could include the entire routes of Tds 2012 into the travel itinerary of this package. TdS 2012 has a total of seven stages along the 854 kilometer route in 14 districts, “said Director of Domestic Tourism Promotion Kemenparekraf, M Faried M. Faried stressed that the prospect is now more realistic, “the tourism industry is expected to start from the field of air and road accessibility, business accommodation, attractions, and tour operators will develop, manage and market.” In that way, there will be more domestic and foreign tourists coming to West Sumatra. “Indeed, the most impressive thing for the participants is to get the perfect scenery and atmosphere, variety of rice fields, hills and mountains, plantations, rivers and beautiful lakes, and the public is increasingly disciplined, orderly and vibrant in welcoming and cheering them along the route, “said Faried.

Yudick Ariant [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

Tour de Singkarak, great opportunity for tourism package development T our de Singkarak (TdS) 2012, an international cycling race, was started on June 4 and the event organizer praised and appreciated the people of West Sumatra for giving their full support to the event. Deputy Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy Sapta Nirwandar said that Tour de Singkarak has become a cycling race as well as a tourism event. The natural view passed by the participants during the race is amazing. Eurosport even called Sumatra as the ‘Green Switzerland.’ “TdS combines cycling with a love of nature. In addition, TdS is also expected to continue to provide tourism and economic benefits for community of West Sumatra. One is them is the improvement of road condition in West Sumatra, which is getting better, “Sapta said. From the point of tourism, this event has provided the participants with perfect combination of highly varied natural landscapes, clean and cool air, and the rich cultural traditions. Some tourism observers who followed the 2012

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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]

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World Confidence on Tourism Prospects Increases

Mari Elka Pangestu and Deputy Prime Minister of Thailand Chumpol Silapa-Archa be a panelist at the session of Travel, Trade, and Tourism at the World Economic Forum on East Asia held in Bangkok.

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n recent years the tourism sector’s contribution to world GDP and employment levels rise. A review of the World Economic Forum (WEF) on the tourism sector shows that the tourism sector contribution to GDP and employment reached 9%. In the World Economic Summit on East Asia held in Bangkok, Thailand May 30 to June 1, 2012, world tourism prospects are discussed specifically in the session of Travel, Trade and Tourism. At the session expressed the importance of the tourism sector to drive the world economy. WEF underlined the high potential and prospects of tourism sector. For Southeast Asia, tourism sector contributes about 4.6% of GDP of ASEAN countries and if you calculate the indirect effects reached 10.9%. Another positive impact is 9.3 million people working in this sector and the number will increase to 25 million people the indirect effect is calculated. Minister of Tourism and the Creative Economy Mari Elka Pangestu

said the panelists at the session said that tourism sector has become very important not only be seen from its contribution to GDP and employment but also to promote a country’s exports and sustainable development through sustainable tourism. Mari Pangestu added that the prestige of the sector is also increasingly up related to the agenda of world leaders meeting of the G-20 in June in Mexico, which is for the first time to discuss the development of the tourism sector, as a contributor to economic growth and create jobs in the current financial crisis in Europe and uncertainty of the world economy. “The meetings organized by UNWTO and the T-20 emphasize the importance of the tourism sector. So, the next challenge is how to realize the potential of tourism and how the sector can grow further, “said Mari Pangestu. She sees Asia and especially ASEAN will play an important role in the development of world tourism as the region will be the driving forc-

es of the world economy. However, Mari Pangestu said, to optimize its development there are a number of factors to be improved. “Visa facilitation in ASEAN should be the main agenda and one point that is not less important is to increase the connectivity,” said Mari Pangestu A research carried out by T20 suggests that the facilitation of visa procedures, including electronic visa and the various easier facilities, will have a positive impact on increasing the number of tourist arrivals. It can also add an additional of 112 million foreign tourists, earnings from tourism amounted to USD 206 billion and 5.1 million of labor in the next three years. Then there are specific proposals for cooperation to improve the visa procedures within the framework of international commitments, and without putting the authority of each country aside, especially related to security issue. ASEAN region recorded the number of foreign tourists visit as many as 82 million people growing at about 9 percent, and 49 percent of them are from ASEAN countries. In the T-20 meeting held in Mexico recently, Mari Pangestu, said that Indonesia supports this cooperation without neglecting security aspects, and reminds that regional cooperation such as ASEAN and APEC have already established similar cooperation such free visa facilitation between ASEAN countries, the proposal for Common Visa for ASEAN last year when Indonesia became Chairman of ASEAN, and APEC Business Travel Card which already covers 18 countries. Indonesia also stressed the importance of cooperation for increasing the implementation capacity of electronic visa system for developing countries. Indonesia also proposed that the next follow-up is to create a wider program of action to boost tourism as part of the solution to world economic slowdown and employment creation. Besides facilitation of visa, other prioritized cooperation under the framework of the G20 also include the connectivity related to infrastructure cooperation, creating transportation service that is more conducive and efficient, and development primarily related to financial inclusion and development of SMEs. At the session of Travel, Trade, and Tourism at the WEF on East Asia was also raised the important role of the airline on tourism business. The growth of the airline directly correlated to tourism. Although the Asian countries improve the infrastructure to improve connectivity via land transportation, it is undeniable that air transportation is still the main choice for tourists to travel. There was also conveyed the importance of convenience to expand electronic payment methods to increase tourist arrivals. This system should be optimized considering that tourists tend to bring not much cash during traveling. Moreover, it is easier to do an analysis of the tourists’ behavior associated with destinations visited, purchased souvenirs, and restaurants visited. (*)

Philippines Food Festival ‘Fiesta Filipina at the Millennium Hotel Sirih Jakarta

Indonesia to prepare ten harbors for cruise ship

siasts to feast into authentic Philippine delicacies. Significantly, the cuisine is a variety of Spanish, Chinese, American and Mexican dishes, with slight influences of French, Japanese, Thai, Italian cuisine, among others.

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There is no reason one should miss this festival!

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here are ten harbors in Indonesia that are currently prepared to be ready to receive a large-capacity cruise ship. Those harbors will be repaired and dredged to the depth of up to 12. “The harbor construction site was chosen after an assessment for access to nearby tourist sites such as the cruise harbor in Probolinggo, East Java, which is an access to tourist sites in East Java that include Bromo, Tengger, and its surroundings. While in Kalimantan, a cruise harbor is constructed for access to natural tourism in Tanjung Putting, “Mari Elka Pangestu Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy said. She further said that the first cruise harbor that will be completed in 2013 is the Benoa Harbor in Bali and then followed by the harbors in Semarang, Surabaya, Jakarta, Makassar, and Kalimantan. “The Ministry of Tourism has been coordinating with the Ministry of Communications, Ministry of Public Works, as well as the immigration and customs in order to prepare the cruise tourism that will be developed in Indonesia,” she said. She added that Indonesia must continue to make improvements, and there is a joint agreement about what have to be done in the next three years. In 2012, the Ministry of Tourism and the Creative Economy is targeting to receive 118 thousand cruise tourists visits. That number is expected to increase to 600 thousand in 2016. (*)

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ubbed Flavours of the Philippines, ‘Fiesta Filipina” will take center stage at the Café Sirih of Millennium Hotel Sirih Jakarta from 5 to 17th June 2012. This is the 6th successful year that the Millennium Hotel Sirih Jakarta has organized the Philippines Food Festival, in cooperation with the Filipino Women for Art, Barong Batik and the Philippines Embassy. Skillfully prepared by guest chefs Rogelio Armas and Karl Dorado Fortaleza from The Heritage Hotel Manila, indulge in a sumptuous

buffet filled with a wide array of well-loved Filipino dishes! Choose from a treasure trove of delectable and traditional all-time favorite dishes such as Atsarang Papaya (Pickled Green Papaya), Bistik Tagalog (Beef Steak with Onion Rings), Chicken Adobo (Soya Vinegar Simmered Chicken), Pancit Canton (Sauteed Yellow Noodles), and Halo-Halo (Assorted Preserved Fruits with Crushed Ice and Milk). With a myriad of culinary delights, ‘Filipina Fiesta’ offers the perfect reason for food enthu-

Price IDR 165,000.- ++ Lunch and Dinner buffet (including free flow of iced lemon tea) Children under 12 years receive 50% off full price. For every group of 6 adults dining, one dines for free (food only) Lucky patrons will also have the chance to win lots of fabulous prizes courtesy of The Heritage Manila, Barong Batik and Millennium Hotel Sirih Jakarta. For more information, please contact: Ribkha Anastasia Marketing Communications Millennium Hotel Sirih Jakarta (021) 230 3636 [email protected]

TripAdvisor to Give Award for the Best Business in the Asia-Pacific

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ripadvisor.co.id, the world’s largest travel website, today announced it has given awards for accommodation, restaurants and attractions with the highest point called the Certificate of Excellence 2012. Christine Petersen, president of TripAdvisor said that the award is given for excellence in hospitality, and awarded only to companies that consistently achieve outstanding reviews from travelers on TripAdvisor, and extended to qualified businesses around the world. Approximately 10% of accommodations listed on TripAdvisor receive this prestigious award.

“To qualify for a Certificate of Excellence, a business must obtain full point, which is four, or higher, and if possible five, as viewed by travelers on TripAdvisor. Additional criteria include the number of reviews received in the last 12 months. TripAdvisor pleased to give the award to outstanding businesses for the consistency of excellence, as has been reviewed by the travelers on this website, “she said. Certificate of Excellence award is said to provide high-value companies worldwide with awards and respect they deserve to get. Starting from exceptional accommodation in Beijing

until the great restaurant in Boston, we want to give praise for the various businesses in the offer to TripAdvisor travelers the best customer experience. “The winners of Certificate of Excellence could show their achievements in several ways, including a certificate showing that they will receive in the coming weeks, featuring the award widget on their business website, and can be downloaded via TripAdvisor Management Center (http://www.tripadvisor. co.id / Owners), “she said. (*)

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Eight Natural Wonders of the East Nusa Tenggara

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ast Nusa Tenggara (NTT) has eight natural wonders that can be the main capital in the tourism sector to become the locomotive of community economic development. Secretary of the Governor’s Assistance Team of NTT, Edu Hena in Kupang said the eight natural wonders are located in some islands in the province, which include Flores Island (Samana Santa, the island of Sumba with Nihiwatu Beach, Alor with Alor Dive and Nemberalla Beach in the District of Rote Ndao). “The eight wonders include Komodo Island (Komodo National Park), Pink Beach on the island of Padar, Komodo Island area, and Taman 17 Pulau Riung with its white sand and crystal clear sea water, sea garden and the hills that create an atmosphere that is different from other areas in the country, “he said. It is said that other natural wonders on the island of Flores is a three color lakes in Mount Kelimutu and Maumere Marine Park. “While another natural wonder is Nihiwatu Beach on Sumba Island with the best and most beautiful beach, He added that these natural wonder gives the impression of a strong individualistic and promise to every tourist to come back again. Alor Island has a specificity that is the natural beauty of the sea, more than a dozen dive sites, so that it is said to be as beautiful as the natural underwater of Caribbean Islands. “This location is protected by the island of Timor, thus becoming the world’s best place to dive after the Caribbean and Nemberalla beach, natural wonders that exist in Rote Island has become the International Calendar of Events for surfing. Rote puts itself at the second place after Hawaii, although it is still very limited in the availability of facilities and infrastructure, “said Edu Hena. He explained that, in addition to having eight wonders of nature, NTT also has the potential of cultural tourism and other traditions that are not less interesting than other areas in Indonesia and even the world. It is expected that NTT’s Tourism Master Plan will be able to encourage the development of tourism and becomes the locomotive of the regional economy. (*)


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Sawahlunto: A City Full of History S

awahlunto is one of the cities in the province of West Sumatra, which has a beautiful natural landscape and the story from the Dutch East Indies colonial period. Uniquely, the old buildings that used to be belonged to the Dutch local residents are now use by the local people as residences, offices, and kiosks. Sawahlunto is also often called the old town. The city is just 90 km from the capital of West Sumatra, Padang. In Sawahlunto, tourists can visit the caves that contain a variety of ornaments. One of them is decorated with waterfalls and others have beautiful stalactite and stalagmite. Basen on the historical records, in the mid-19th century, Sawahlunto was known as a mining town. De Greve had found coal in Ombilin River. Then in 1888 the Dutch government began to establish various coal mining facilities. To facilitate the transport of coal distribution from Sawahlunto to Padang, Dutch East Indies government initiated to extend the length of the railway line in 1894. Most of the population in Sawahlunto was coal miners. Those hired by the Dutch East Indies government were prisoners who were paid very low. In 1898, a tunnel for mining purposes was constructed. This was the first pit in West Sumatra, which was located in Air Dingin, Lembah Segar district. In 1932 the mine was closed and reopened in June 2007.

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In Sawahlunto, you can visit Mbah Souro’s Hole. There is a story about a prisoner who was chained there and coal that is still abundant since the Dutch period. Located in downtown of Sawahlunto, this attraction is often visited by tourists, especially tourists from the Netherlands. This hole was a place to mine coal that had been used since the period of Dutch colonialism. They employed ‘the chained people’, who were actually the Dutch political prisoners, to dig coal in the ground. To enter this hole, there are rules that must be obeyed. The regulations include wearing boots and helmets provided, no lighters, and women who get their period are not allowed to enter the hole. The architecture and pillars are still original and they give visitors the atmosphere of the coal mining in the Dutch colonialism period. No need to feel insecure during your visit in this hole for there is proper lights and CCTV (surveillance camera) that will provide security during the trip. In addition, there are also ventilation for adequate air channels. Upon entering the hole, you will feel the cold breeze and water dripping from the ceiling. Be careful when walking, because the stairs are pretty slippery. You can take pictures inside the hole. Mbah Soero’s hole is a unique destination to visit and with the entrance fee, which is only Rp 8000; I think it is worth to visit. Info Box is an information center building of Sawahlunto’s history of coal mining, which is located in the area of Mbah Soero’s Hole. Formerly this building served as the stock field of coal excavated from the pit of Mbah Soero. This building now contains photographs of the history of coal mining and mining tools.

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Mbah Soure’s Hole

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Gudang Ransum Museum Located in the sub-district of Air Dingin, Lembah Segar district, about 10 minutes walk from the center of Sawahlunto, Gudang Ransum Museum stands in an area of two hectares. The building is still in good condition. With a strong European architecture, the building holds a number of collections. The collection includes various made-in-China ceramics that used to be used on certain occasions during the Dutch colonialism period. A big mortar is stored in a glass box and the chef’s uniform can also be seen there. According to the museum records, Gudang Ransum Museum was built in 1918 based on injustice distribution of food rations for the miners in the barracks and nurses at the hospital. Since the opening of a coal mine in Sawahlunto in 1891, consumption for the miners carried on a small scale and located at some point. Chinese and Singaporean labors were once employed at the mine of Ombilin with a three-year contract. For the reason of low wages, the Dutch replaced the workers from China by bringing workers from Java in around 1894. The kitchen was then used as a junior high school from 1960 to 1970. It was also used by PT Ombilin as an office and then settlement for the mine workers until 2004. The replicas of food cooked by the chef in Gudang Ransum are arranged neatly inside the glass cabinet. A number of photos during the visit of Vice President M. Hatta to Sawahlunto can be found in this museum. Trains mine is also on display at the front entrance of this building. A 1.3 meter diameter iron pot with 1 inch thickness lined in the room measuring 12 by 25 meters with the roof reaching a height of 15 meters. There are three steel pots with as high as 65 cm installed in the room. A number of kitchen utensils such as pots, pans, and compressor to flow the steam from the giant-sized steam generator made in 1894 shows that the kitchen was the center of consumption for thousands of people. Communities and local governments in Sawahlunto, West Sumatra, knew this building as Gudang Ransum (Consumption Warehouse). There are a number of large buildings in the north and east side of the Museum. The rice storage area is connected to seven doors. The rice storage room is also used by 100 people who worked to cook food for 6000 workers. In the western part of the main kitchen, stands a similar building that is connected with seven doors to store the material raw materials such as meat, fish, and vegetables. In the south there is a rectangular building functioned as an ice factory. While in the back kitchen, standing three steam generator units made in 1894 which serve as a coal burning stove decorated with a giant water tube with a diameter of 1.5 m with a height of 6.75 meters. Vapor from the furnace is transferred to the main kitchen which is about seven meters away through an underground pipeline through a giant compressor. Now, the building became one of the Dutch heritages that is able to attract tourists to visit this coal mine.

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Mak Itam is a name for a Dutch antique coal-fired railroad locomotive, which now serves as a tourist train in Sawahlunto. Mak Itam operates every Sunday, with a route of Sawahlunto- Muarakalaban -Sawahlunto (travel time approximately 1 hour round trip). If you want to enjoy the natural beauty of West Sumatra railway longer, Mak Itam is the best choice. By passing the outskirts of Lake Singkarak we were presented with beautiful scenery during the 3 hour trip. The train departs at 8:30 from Padang Panjang, passing Lake Singkarak with the final destianation in Sawahlunto. The ticket is Rp 50,000 for the executive class, Rp 25,000 for the economy class. The train departed from Sawahlunto to Padang Panjang at 14:30. The interior of Mak Itam maintained as the original with lengthwise bench and some antique chairs. However, the windows that were previously opened have now been closed for passenger comfort. (*)

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hat do you imagine when you heard the word Papua? It can be many things. Papua, a province in the eastern tip of Indonesia offers a million of natural beauty and not many people know about it. Although many people said that Papua is not safe for traveling, but it is not entirely true. There’s an old saying not knowing means not loving. Therefore, we have to visit Papua first to directly and personally see and experience its stunning natural beauty and friendliness of the local people. I was lucky enough to get the opportunity to visit the capital of Papua, Jayapura together with the team from the Directorate of Domestic Promotion, Ministry of Tourism and the Creative Economy. Beautiful scenery of Lake Sentani will be the first nature’s beauty that will greet on your arrival in Papua. Flight from Jakarta to Jayapura City took about 6 hours. Of course the length of this trip will make you tired but no need to worry for 15 minutes before landing, beautiful scenery that can be seen through the window of the plane will pay all the tiredness. You could see the beauty of Lake Sentani from above, God’s amazing creation that should not be missed. Expanse of water and green grass around Lake Sentani looked like a painting which asserts that Papua is really beautiful. You could also see some islands situated in the middle of Lake Sentani and fishermen who were busy with their daily activities. The plane finally landed at Sentani Airport, Jayapura. This is the gateway to the capital of Papua province. There are some area expansions took place since the era of reformation and currently, the Sentani Airport is part of Sentani Regency. It took about 45 minutes from the airport to Jayapura by land transportation. As for the location of Lake Sentani itself, is located near the airport. In other words, Sentani Airport is located on Lake Sentani itself. Lake Sentani is the largest volcanic lake in Papua situated at an altitude of about 80 meters above sea level. Pandanus and sago plants grow in shallow water. The lake itself covers an area of about 9360 ha with an average depth of 24.5 meters. There are 24 villages around the lake. If you have time after landing, it would be great to spend some times relaxing on the shores of Lake Sentani and enjoying a cup of coffee. There are many places that can be used to enjoy Lake Sentani. One of them is Yougwa Restaurant that serves a diverse range of Papua culinary starting from a variety of processed fish taken from Lake Sentani until Papeda, special cuisine from Papua that is made from sago and yellow fish sauce. Its beauty has made the local government of Papua choose it

as the venue of Lake Sentani Festival. This festival is a form of local government’s attention to one of the tourist attractions in the province. One goal of this festival is to increase the number of tourists visiting Papua and Lake Sentani, as well as to improve the creativity of local communities. Lake Sentani Festival presents a wide range of cultural richness, customs and indigenous tribes in Papua province. The villages around Lake Sentani have been confirmed to take part in this festival.

General Douglas MacArthur Monument The Monument of General Douglas MacArthur is one of the tourist attractions in Jayapura that should be visited. The building is located 39 kilometers from Jayapura and can be reached by a wide range of transportation within 35 minutes. Public transportation route that can be used is Sentani - Ifar. This monument is a symbol of American and Allied forces in power in Papua under the command of General Douglas MacArthur in World War II. At that time the General built a headquarters of the western Pacific War in Hollandia (now Jayapura). The monument was built to commemorate the success of General MacArthur with his famous vow “I shall return” carved on the foot of the monument. This monument stands on the top of Pelwai Mogho Hill and now known as Ifar Mountain at an altitude of 325 meters above sea level and built by the local people of Sentani. Based on historical records, Jayapura was formerly known as Hollandia, used as headquarters for the defense of the allied forces invaded the Admirally islands and neutralized the Japanese base defense at Rabaul, Papua New Guinea (PNG) in 1944. Meanwhile, the placement of the headquarter in Jayapura led the allied forces to success with the release of New Guinea or Papua from the Japanese that lasted less than three months, since 22 April until July 30, 1944. On June 6, 1944, allied military operation led by MacArthur was declared over. Furthermore, Hollandia served as the Headquarters of the Southwest Pacific, Center for Army and Air Force of the Allied forces. From this place lay beautiful views overlooking a broad valley with Lake Sentani Panorama and Mountain Nimboran as the backgrounds. We can also see the aircraft take off and landing at the Sentani Airport. You will be amazed by the beauty of natural scenery that stretched below. To be able to visit the monument area you have to go through the checkpoint area of Rindam XVIII / Trikora, and must leave anID card.

The Unique Tablanusu Beach If you are bored with the view of hills and lake, you might want to visit Tablanusu Beach. The beach is located in the village of Tablanusu, which goes into the District of Depapre, Jayapura regency, Papua Province. After traveling approximately 2 hours from Jayapura, you will arrive at the beach of Tablanusu. People mostly come with private car. Interestingly, all cars must be parked in parking spaces provided, thus the beach is not crowded by vehicles. It was worth it to travel nearly 100 km from the city of Jayapura. Tablanusu beach provides magnificent scenery. The local people are friendly and ready to help the tourists. Cleanliness around the beach is also well maintained. There is something unique that you fill find in Tablanusu that probably will make you think “how could this happen?” On Tablanusu Beach, you will find a stretch of coral gravel and round or oval stoned with smooth surface instead of sand. Almost the entire surface of the village, approximately 230 ha, is covered with natural black stones and this creates certain sound when you walk on it. It is quite easy for the local residents to recognize newcomers to the village only by listening to the scraping sound of the stones. They seemed to have found their own techniques for walking on the stones so that it is not too noisy. Walking barefooted along the beach provides you with free reflexology. Accommodation such as bungalows is available at various rates. In the Tourism Village of Tablanusu there are also many facilities, such as tourist guides, churches, rental boats, fish markets, and shops that provide a variety of food, beverages, and souvenir made by the local community. Do not worry about the waves, waves on the beach is relatively calm because of the position of the beach which is in a small bay. For those of you who have never been on a boat do not waste this moment, you can hire a boat to go around Tablanusu, which will take about thirty minutes. The beach also offers snorkeling spots with exotic view, wide range of coral reefs, and sea creatures such as colorful group of decorative fish. Most of the people in Tablanusu village earn life from fishing. Therefore, the local people would appreciate and respect nature and maintain its sustainability. Well ... for those of you who have never visited Papua, please give it a try and I’m sure you won’t regret it. (*)


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Sweet Memories in Bukittinggi B

visitors can buy souvenir such as shirts, snacks and accessories. The town is also rich in history. One of Indonesian well-known leaders was born in this town. He was Indonesian first vice president Bung Hatta. You can visit his house which has now become a museum. The original wooden furniture is still available there, as well as his bicycle. There are the Japanese caves from the Japanese occupancy in Indonesia. It is located not far from the Jam Gadang, and this is a pretty attractive and thrilling attraction. It has the length of hundreds of meters and has hundreds of steps, which will challenge your guts and stamina. Sianok Canyon with the height of about 100120 meters and length of about 15 km is natural attraction that should not be missed. The walls form a kind of abyss where there are vast stretches of paddy fields and river under it. The top surface is covered with trees and grasses.

The canyon is divided the area into two parts, namely Bukit Tinggi and Mount Singgalang. The view of Sional Canyon is amazingly beautiful from Panorama Park, which is deliberately constructed by local governments in the area of Bukit Tinggi Apart from Panorama Park, the beauty of the Ngarai Sianok can also be enjoyed by going down to the bottom of the deep hole, which is actually a settlement and rice fields. You can explore this place and would take pictures, which will be unforgettable memories. There are many accommodations available in Buktitinggi ranging from backpacker hotel up to a five-star hotel. For culinary tourism, this place is paradise. Various foods such as Kapau rice up to Kalua tea are ready to warm your body and fill your empty stomach. Bukittinggi is a special destination for a vacation. The cold weather and beautiful nature can not be found anywhere. (*)

photo by tri wibowo

photo by tri wibowo

photo by tri wibowo

ukittinggi is a special destination in West Sumatra. The cool air and the various objects are ready to give the sweetest experiences to anyone visited the town. Located not far from the provincial capital of West Sumatra, Padang, Bukittinggi has a special charm. Ngarai Sianok (Sianok Canyon) is ready to amaze you with its stunning beauty. Bukittinggi has a natural texture of the mountains. The cold weather is not only at night, but in the morning and during the day. In the daytime, the weather is a bit hot, but uniquely, it will not make you sweating. The heat of the sun can not beat the cool breeze. Bukittinggi is very interesting place to visit, especially for those who like traveling. There are many natural and historical attractions in the town such as Jam Gadang (the Big Clock) that welcomes every visitor of Bukittinggi. This clock has been around since the Dutch period. The town also offers several traditional markets such as pasar atas and pasar bawah, where

traditional, fumigation carried on until a few days even more. Sei has become special food that domestic and foreign tourists are looking for. Frozen Sei is now available in shops. The compliment dishes to be eaten with Sei are sautéed bean sprouts and papaya flowers. The papaya flowers will not taste bitter for the chilly added to it gives spicy flavor. (*)

photo by spc

ents. With the lack of flavor, the aroma of smoke and the taste of the meat can be fully tasted. Sei is made using traditional techniques inherited from the ancestors. Kusambi wood is commonly used to smoke Sei. Beef is sliced and then garnished with salt. Then the meat is hung to be drained and smoked for a few hours. According to Budhy, in houses that are still

photo by spc

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ei is a traditionally made smoked meat from East Nusa Tenggara. Originally, Sei comes from the island of Rote, but then widely spread in Kupang. Some restaurants offer Sei in their menu. When Sei is served, the aroma will automatically raise your appetite. It is served in a quite thick slice, but easy to bite. Sei is cooked using simple ingredi-

photo by spc

Sei, Smoked Meat from East Nusa Tenggara

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Bali and Banten Ready to Manage Tourism Destination

Baduy village

Bali’s Spa Industry Gets Annual Wellness Boost

and expertise about advanced spa treatments and sanitation principles to all levels of spa industry players” said Lulu Widjaja, BSWA president.

“With BSWA leading the charge, we can remain confident in calling Bali the spa capital of the world—and long may it remain so,” said BHA’s Le Coz. (*)

Summer Promotions favehotel Seminyak

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ummer time and School holiday are coming and there is no better ways to celebrate the summer like Bali, with its unique culture, savory cuisine, idyllic ambience and breathtaking islands. This summer, favehotel Seminyak offers two exciting summer promos, “Stay 3 pay 2” for guests to stay 3 nights for the price of 2 with only Rp. 488.000,-net / room / night (minimum of 3 nights stay and including breakfast for 2 persons) and “Summer Break” with special rate of Rp. 300.000,-net / room / night (room only) . This special promotion is available from 1st May to 31st July 2012 which is truly an exciting season in Bali, with many cultural events is celebrated during this period such as Saraswati Day and Pager Wesi Day. You can unwind and relax in our Standard and Superior stylish fave room with the Balinese tropical setting and free high speed Wifi internet connection. favehotel Seminyak is designed to deliver maximum pleasure with minimum expense for you who plan to spend this summer moments with family, friends or your loved one. favehotel Seminyak located in Southern

Balinese Traditional House to Attract International Market

photo by spc

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he Bali Spa & Wellness Association (BSWA) held its annual workshops on April 30 at the InterContinental Bali Resort. BSWA is one of many organizations actively supported by Bali Hotels Association (BHA), the island’s 100-member-strong group of star-rated hotels and resorts. Said BHA chairman Jean-Charles Le Coz: “Bali is famous for many things, but the quality level and service of ours spas is one that we’re most proud of. We can certainly say that the work of BSWA is to really driving this reputation for excellence.” The workshops, which followed the association’s annual general meeting, included sessions with speakers sharing their knowledge about holistic traditional Usadha Bali, interactive sessions for therapists, and a mini bazaar and presentations from BSWA members and suppliers. More than 150 spa industry participants attended the events. In addition, and in line with BHA’s own corporate social responsibility program, the BSWA’s “Give back to the Community” initiative saw a workshop for beach masseuses. Training topics were hygiene and sanitation by Ecolab, customer service and English language and the provision of a manual in basic massage techniques. “In line with BSWA’s vision, through this workshop we want to share our knowledge

photo by spc

photo by spc

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hamber of Commerce and Industry of Bali and Banten signed a cooperation agreement to work in several areas to improve the performance of the tourism sector in each province. Chairman of the Bali Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) Gde Sumarjaya Linggih said the signing of the MoU aims to develop tourist destinations in each province. There are many similarities between the two provinces, particularly in tourism and infrastructure that can be developed together. “A number of tourist destinations in Banten and Bali will be merged into a single travel package. This collaboration will be followed up by the association of travel agents in Bali and Jakarta. This collaboration has the potential to increase foreign and domestic tourist arrivals. Bali, which is more dominant, will support the arrival of foreign tourists to Banten. While Banten, which is dominant in domestic tourists, will support domestic tourists visiting Bali, “he said. Group leader, who is also Vice Chairman of Banten Chamber of Commerce and Industry Ahmad Sari Alam responded positively to this cooperation. Kadin Banten targeted as many as 2.7 million foreign tourists from the national target of 7.7 million throughout 2011. “Banten Tourism Development is identified to have 204 tourist destinations (ODTW) according to the Tourism RIPPDA 2006. They include 84 natural attractions, 34 historical and cultural sights, 24 artificial attractions, 9 living culture tourism, and 48 arts attrcations, “he said. He further said that as many as 71 ODTW or 34.8% are tourist areas, which have grown well both nationally and internationally. Meanwhile, about 100 ODTW (49.0%) are the potential for tourism development. Kadin Banten wishes to develop tourism, which is supported by funding from the government amounting to Rp9 billion by 2012. The funds are allocated from the provincial budget. “The pattern of tourism development in Banten province covers 18 areas, including West Coast, South Coast Tourism Area, North Coast Tourism Area, Pilgrimage Tourism Areas, Ujung Kulon National Park and Island and Mount Krakatoa, and others,” he said. He added that as for the national tourist areas, Banten manages Anyer Beach, Carita & Tanjung Lesung, and marine tourism on Umang Island, Ujung Kulon National Park, Old Banten Religious Tour and the uniqueness of Banten Traditional Bedui Society. (*)

Bali situated in the very heart of Seminyak right on Jalan Dhyana Pura which offers a myriad of restaurants and clubs. The hotel will offer 251 modern, functional and stylish guest rooms, several small meeting rooms, an outdoor swimming pool and an eclectic

street front coffee shop. Seminyak is one of popular and bustling area in Bali, owing to its high density of highend small boutiques, combines with the many fine eating places makes it becoming one of the most attractive tourist areas in the island. (*)

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he components of Balinese house have attracted many foreign consumers. The house made of wooden material with traditional architecture is capable of generating foreign exchange of US$ 361,886.67 for a two-month period from January to February 2012. Head of Public Relations of the Provincial Government of Bali, I Ketut Teneng in Denpasar said that the foreign exchange earnings increased 145.52% over the same period in the previous year, which was recorded as much as US$ 147, 396, 38. Similarly, in terms of volume, it increased by 33.34% from 68 units in the first two months of 2011 to 102 units over the same period of 2012. “Meanwhile, during 2011 similar product that penetrated international markets was as much as 5007 units worth US$ 4.23 million, down from a year earlier that reached US $ 14.85 million. Foreign exchange earning in 2010 was for the shipment of 98, 417 units, so in terms of value and volume are both decreased, “he said. Entering 2012, the exports of ready-made house and foreign exchange earnings have increased significantly, associated with the improving world economy. He added that the typical Balinese house made of wood is actually really liked by the international community, because it reflects the artistic and practical value, so that the orders were still coming from several countries. A number of companies which specialized in producing ready-made traditional houses can be found along the road of Ida Bagus Mantra and the route of Sanur – Nusa Dua. Consumers who bought the house do not have to bother to set it up, because after arriving in their home countries, the house is easily assembled again, “he said. He further explained that the export of house component is quite promising for every month there is always a shipment overseas. House components is one of seven types of small industries which penetrate the overseas market, and able to contribute at 0.19% of Bali total exports valued worth at U.S. 70.19 million during the first two months of 2012. (*)

n bali o s t wha


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Bali Needs to Have International Class Gallery Bali full of optimism for tourism growth

photo by spc

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espite the global financial crisis in Europe, Bali remains optimistic that its tourism growth will continue to improve in the future. The head of Bali Tourism Agency, Ida Bagus Kade Subhiksu, revealed that during the first quarter of 2012, there had been a 10.74 percent growth of visitors, amounting to 915,594 people. This figure is 30 percent of the overall year’s target of three million visitors. Positive growth has been displayed by several of Bali’s tourism markets, which include Australia, China, Malaysia, South Korea, UK, Russia, Singapore and the US. Australian visitors have increased 10.64 percent to reach 222,372 people, while 124,366 Chinese people flooded the island, an increase of 74.71 percent. Visitors from Malaysia are up 0.99 percent to 53,031 people, the South Korean contribution is up 11.97 percent or 41,743 visitors, the UK has seen a 13.01 percent increase of 37,698 people, Russia is up 8.18 percent to 34,241 people, Singapore is up 6.99 percent to 32,589 visitors, and the US is up 8.83 percent to 29,766 people. “We believe that these tourism markets will continue to grow, especially if global security and trust in us remain steady,” he said. Subhiksu acknowledged though that the number of Japanese visitors was still decreasing. “In 2011, the number of Japanese visitors dropped about 25 percent, but this year, until April, we only saw a 15 percent reduction.” “It shows that the Japanese market is improving. Despite a slight decrease, the Japanese market is still in the top three of the 10 main countries whose people visit Bali.” Beyond the 10 main markets, he said that tourists from several other countries were also arriving. For example, 10,896 New Zealanders came to Bali this quarter, while 14,485 visitors came from India. Last year’s data showed that 37,015 New Zealanders and 50,435 Indians came to Bali out of the overall 2,756,579 visitors. The deputy chairman of the Bali chapter of the Indonesian Hotels and Restaurants Association (PHRI), Ida Bagus Gede Sidharta Putra, stated his assurance that European tourists were typically loyal visitors who would continue to come to Bali. He cited that hotels in Sanur continued to receive European guests, most of whom had been to Bali many times. “Many of them brought friends and families along to stay in Sanur.” Bagus Sudibya of the Association of Indonesian Tour and Travel Agencies (Asita) reminded people that despite the optimistic spirit, Bali had to continue improving itself in terms of better public facilities and infrastructure. (*/jp)

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he Government should immediately establish a gallery or a contemporary museum of international standard in Bali, which is professionally managed to appreciate the work of Indonesian artists to be easily introduced into the global arena through this tourism destination. Wianta, an alumnus of the Indonesian Arts Institute (ISI) Yogyakarta, said in Denpasar about the need of having facilities and infrastructure with good quality standard to accelerate the growth of fine art, which is left far behind. “Fine art provides a quite big contribution to foreign exchange earnings through a variety of applied products in the tourism industry. A wide range of crafts, properties, and tourism facilities in Bali could not be separated from the touch of visual arts. Indeed, it’s all based on arts and culture that has been known for a long time in the outside world which now needs to be nurtured and developed, “he said. He further said that to support the infrastructure can be started with systems building through competition, biennale, art fairs and healthy auction. He worried that if this action is not taken immediately, it will be taken by the outsiders, as happened in Bali’s

Thousands of Russian at favehotel Seminyak

tourism industry such as travel agents, hotels, villas, restaurants that dominated the expatriate business. Wianta is confident that with the proper systems and infrastructure, Indonesian contemporary art will be able to be the host in our own country, as well as becoming a constellation in the international arena. It’s time to make Bali as the gate of Indonesian fine arts in order to get the world before the global market growing more rapidly. During the discussion with the students of ISI Yogyakarta in his studio, Wianta was asked to share his experience in dealing with the hustle and bustle of the art market these days. Wianta said that market contributed greatly to the development of art, but the phenomenon can also be negative if not managed properly. The market needs to be built with a strong foundation of art market experience globally. “Working in the field of arts, we have to put the process and work forward, and not money or market oriented. At the end, professionalism and quality speak and naturally the market will appreciate it. So keep working, to develop networking, and add insight in a broadest sense, “he said. He advised the students to take advan-

tage of opportunities maximally, especially Jogjakarta as a center of fine arts, which has a long history that have given birth to great artists such as S. Soedjojono, Affandi, Soedarso, Widayat and many more. Especially with the development of information technology there is no longer a barrier to access a variety of interests to support the interests and professions. If Indonesian artists want to move forward, look the outside world and try different possibilities, they should collaborate with different discipline like what he has done recently. Wianta was invited to teach the art of architecture for five months at Holy Cross University, Massachusetts, United States. On that occasion he also collaborated with Prof. Lynn Kremer in a theatrical performance titled Shackled Spirits that was inspired by the patient’s life in Bangli Mental Hospital. In the performance, Wianta created artistic stage settings and properties that are abstracted the mental patient with Wianta’s fictional dolls and puppets. Forty local students played the collaborative theatrical performance. The world of theater is not new for Wianta for he has been in touch with Balinese art since he was a kid, especially arja. (*)

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avehotel Seminyak announce arrivals of thousands Russian long stay guest until May 2012. Since its opening on November 2011, favehotel seminyak score high room occupancy and become favorites among budget hotel in Seminyak area by offering international standard services and facilities. With considerable room number, favehotel Seminyak ready to serve thousands guest either for short or long stay. The Russian tour representative said “staying here makes us feels like home, especially for the hospitality of the staff”. Komang Artana, General Manager of favehotel Seminyak said ”Bali, particularly Seminyak area becomes one of Russian tourist favorite destination which evolves each year and it was an honor for us to be chosen as Russian long stay accommodation during their vacation in Bali considering there are wide range of hotels selection in Bali and we believe favehotel Seminyak will continue to score high room occupancy for both local and international guest.(”)

photo by spc

photo by spc

LGH, low cost accomodation in Bali

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egian Guest House (LGH) is self rated a 2 star hotel facilities with 13 low cost rooms accommodation,swimming pool and pool side restaurant in Legian Kuta just improve rooms facilities with new Superior Twin Holywood Room from June 15,2012. Wayan Suena,Marketing Director of Legian Guest House who also incharge for Bali Hai Dream Villa Tanah Lot said this improvement of new Superior Twin Holywood Room will bring more unique culture experience for budget traveller like

surfer,backpacker and also business traveller to enjoy at Legian Guest House while other facilities like Unlimited Free WIFI and Free scheduled shuttle service to Legian Beach daily is highlight of the property. Legian Guest House owned by local Balinese people who will guarantee that you will experience trully Balinese friendly service during your stay and at the same time by stay at Legian Guest House you will help local Balinese people to keep preserving their Balinese tradition and cultures.

LEGIAN GUEST HOUSE

He mention that budget conscious travellers and backpacker love the saving on Bali’s Legian budget hotel that leaves their cash money intact for shopping and entertainment. Experience Bali paradise with Legian Guest House ; Bali budget hotel and Legian cheap hotel with centrally located a minutes drive away from Legian beach, where everyone can enjoy greats surf break, all day sunbathing and beautiful sunset of Bali .

“ Low budget hotel accommodation in Legian Kuta “ Jalan Nakula Timur,North Legian,Kuta,Bali 80361 Indonesia Phone :62-361-8947117 Fax :62-361-8947118 Email : [email protected] Easy stay and book :www.legianguesthouse.com

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photo by spc

Dahlan Iskan: Garuda Telah Kalahkan MAS dan Thai Airways

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photo by spc

enurut Menteri BUMN Dahlan Iskan yang mengatakan kini ada dua perusahaan Badan Usaha Milik Negara (BUMN) yang tahun ini melejit melampaui batas negara: PT Garuda Indonesia (Persero) Tbk dan PT Batan Teknologi (Persero). “Untuk Garuda Indonesia, memang secara mengejutkan, saat ini sudah lebih besar dari Malaysia Airlines System (MAS) dan Thai Airways, Thailand, bahkan sudah lebih besar dari Air France. Value Garuda Indonesia kini sudah mencapai Rp18 triliun, sekitar Rp1 triliun lebih besar dari MAS dan Thai. Dengan demikian untuk Asia Tenggara kini Garuda Indonesia tinggal kalahkan Singapore Airlines,” ujarnya. Dikatakan, memang tidak ada alasan bagi Indonesia untuk serba kalah dari sesama negara ASEAN. Di antara sepuluh negara Asia Tenggara, kekuatan ekonomi Indonesia sudah 51% sendiri. Baru yang 49% dibagi sembilan negara lainnya. Di bawah kepemimpinan direksi Garuda Indonesia yang sekarang ini, Dirut Emirsyah Satar, prestasi itu akan terus bisa dipacu. “Inilah direksi yang dari segi umur relatif masih muda-muda dan inilah direksi yang berada di puncak antusias dan gairahnya. Iklim seperti itu secara otomatis akan menjalar dan mewabah ke jajaran di bawah dan di bawahnya lagi,” katanya. Ditambahkannya, ekonomi Indonesia yang terus membaik memang bisa menjadi ladang yang subur bagi Garuda Indonesia. Penambahan pesawat yang terus dilakukan, termasuk yang kelas 100 tempat duduk, akan membuat Garuda Indonesia terbang kian tinggi. “Langkah terbarunya untuk bisa dipercaya Kanada sebagai pusat perawatan pesawat Bombardier se Asia Pasifik, memberikan harapan yang lebih besar lagi. Dengan demikian GMF AeroAsia, salah satu anak perusahaan Garuda Indonesia, akan menjadi perusahaan kelas dunia juga. Ini karena pembuat mesin pesawat terkemuka di dunia lainnya, GE dari USA juga sudah mempercayakan perawatan mesin GE ke GMF AeroAsia,” ungkapnya. (*)

Whiz Hotel Kembangkan Sayap ke Indonesia Timur

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T Intiland Development Tbk yang melalui anak perusahaan PT Intiwhiz International terus memperluas jaringan Whiz Hotel ke sejumlah kota di Indonesia. Setelah hadir di Yogyakarta, Semarang, Balikpapan, dan Kuta Bali, jaringan Whiz Hotel akan hadir di kota Makasar, salah satu kota bisnis yang berkembang pesat di kawasan Indonesia Timur. Menurut Moedjianto Soesilo Tjahjono, Presiden Direktur dan Chief Executive Officer PT Intiwhiz International dalam siaran persnya mengatakan pengembangan hotel yang bernama Grand Whiz Hotel Sudirman – Makasar ini dilakukan lewat skema kerjasama strategis dengan pihak investor untuk pengembangan jaringan Whiz Hotel. Cara ini merupakan salah satu bentuk strategi perseroan untuk mempercepat pengembangan jaringan Whiz Hotel ke kota-kota besar di Indonesia. “Grand Whiz Hotel Sudirman di Makasar akan menjadi hotel ke-12 dari 26 jaringan Whiz Hotel yang sudah dan segera dibangun dalam waktu dekat. Kami percaya pasar perhotelan di Makasar akan tumbuh sangat pesat di masa mendatang, seiring pesatnya perkembangan bisnis dan pariwisata di kota tersebut,” katanya. Dikatakan, hotel ini berlokasi di jalan

Sudirman yang merupakan jalan utama di kota Makasar. Menempati area seluas 1.600 meter persegi, akan dibangun hotel dengan ketinggian 8 lantai yang memiliki sekitar 150 kamar. Selain menyediakan fasilitas ruangan rapat yang luas, restoran, dan kolam renang, fitness, hotel ini nantinya juga menyediakan fasilitas parkir basement. “Tahapan pembangunan hotel ini kami rencanakan mulai Oktober 2012. Kami berharap pada akhir 2013 sudah beroperasi. Diakui bahwa Makasar memiliki potensi sangat besar bagi perkembangan industri perhotelan. Potensi tersebut bukan hanya karena kota Makasar merupakan ibu kota provinsi Sulawesi Selatan, tetapi juga sekaligus pusat bisnis dan kota penghubung utama dari kotakota yang ada di provinsi tersebut,” ujarnya. Merujuk data Perhimpunan Hotel dan Restoran Indonesia (PHRI) Makasar kebutuhan kamar hotel terus meningkat di kota tersebut. Pada tahun 2011, jumlah wisatawan domestik meningkat 32 persen atau mencapai sekitar 3 juta orang dibandingkan 2010. Jumlah wisatawan mancanegara juga meningkat 15% menjadi 32.385 orang. Mengutip data PHRI, Moedjianto mengatakan bahwa di Makasar tercatat ada sebanyak 196 hotel dari berbagai kelas dengan jumlah

kamar tersedia diperkirakan mencapai 6.500. Jumlah tersebut dinilai masih sangat kurang mempertimbangkan perkembangan jumlah wisatawan maupun untuk keperluan bisnis. “Tingkat okupansi hotel di makasar cukup tinggi, dengan rata-rata 65-70%, pada saat tertentu akan terjadi kekurangan kamar hotel, terutama ketika ada penyelenggaraan kegiatan-kegiatan bisnis maupun parisiwata. Pasar untuk MICE (Meeting, Incentive, Conference and Exhibition) di kota Makasar cukup besar, bisa memberikan kontribusi hingga 40%,” ungkapnya. Ditambahkannya, potensi pasar perhotelan di Makasar juga bisa dilihat dari pertumbuhan jumlah penumpang pesawat yang melewati bandara Internasional Sultan Hasanuddin. Berdasarkan data PT Angkasa Pura I bandara ini melayani 30 tujuan penerbangan domestik di seluruh Indonesia dan dua tujuan penerbangan Internasional, yakni ke Malaysia dan Singapura. Pada tahun 2011 jumlah penumpang pesawat yang melalui bandara ini sebanyak 7,5 juta dan tahun ini diperkirakan naik 15% menjadi 8,5 juta. Jumlah penumpang yang melewati bandara Hasanuddin setiap harinya rata-rata mencapai 21.000 orang, baik yang berangkat, datang, maupun transit. (*)

Investor Taiwan Mulai Melirik Potensi Pulau Morotai

Perusahaan yang dipimpinnya, RajaKamar Indonesia yang menjadi perusahaan hotel domestik online pekan lalu luncurkan logo baru dengan slogan “Ahlinya Hotel Indonesia”. Untuk menjadi itu pihaknya merombak total website, termasuk desain dan fungsional agar dapat memenuhi peningkatan permintaan pelanggan Indonesia. “Desain dan tata letak baru ini agar memudahkan dan menarik pelanggan untuk bernavigasi lebih jernih dan jelas serta meningkatkan promosi dan penjualan,” ungkapnya. Ditambahkan n ya , bisnis reservasi hotel selama ini di dominasi kepemilikan asing. Namun Rajakamar adalah website milik tiga perusahaan travel agent yaitu PT Panorama Sentrawisata, Smailing Tour dan PT Dwidaya Tour and Travel disamping dua pemangku kepentingan lainnya di bawah konsorsium Raja Kamar Internasional. Keseriusan menang-

kap pasar wisatawan domestik untuk pemesanan online hotel diikuti dengan banyak perubahan isi konten dengan menggunakan bahasa Indonesia dan ada layanan call center sehingga pelanggan menjadi yakin atas pilihannya dalam bertransaksi di Internet. Industri perjalanan domestik yang ditunjang makin beragamnya pilihan penerbangan tipe low cost carrier telah mendorong orang untuk melakukan perjalanan lebih banyak lagi sehingga meningkatkan permintaan untuk hotel dan agen perjalanan. (*)

photo by spc

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isatawan nusantara (wisnus) lebih memilih kamar hotel berbintang dengan tarif berkisar US$80 dalam melakukan reservasi hotel secara online. Scott Blume, CEO Raja Kamar Internasional mengatakan website kami memiliki jaringan reservasi dengan 1.300 hotel yang tersebar di seluruh Indonesia dan dari pemesanan secara online range tarif yang rata-rata menjadi pilihan wisnus berkisar US$ 80US$100. “Tentu saja daya beli wisnus untuk hotel berbintang lima plus juga tinggi seiring dengan bermunculannya hotel-hotel mewah di berbagai daerah. Itulah sebabnya tahun ini juga diharapkan ada 100 hotel lainnya yang bergabung di website nya sehingga wisnus memiliki pilihan hotel lebih luas,” ujarnya. Dikatakan, pergerakan wisnus di Indonesia sangat tinggi baik untuk kegiatan dinas maupun berwisata. Data Kementrian Pariwisata dan Ekonomi Kreatif, tahun lalu wisnus mencapai 125 juta orang dengan 239 juta pergerakan. “Untuk berwisata, selain menyerahkan urusan perjalanan pada biro perjalanan wisata (travel agent), pemesanan melalui internet terutama ke website Rajakamar.com,” katanya.

photo by spc

Wisatawan Nusantara Menyukai Reservasi Online Hotel Mewah

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ejumlah investor dari Taiwan berkunjung ke Kabupaten Pulau Morotai, Maluku Utara, untuk melihat potensi sumber daya alam di daerah itu. Bupati Pulau Morotai Rusli Sibua menuturkan investor Taiwan yang datang ke Morotai bersama beberapa ahli survei pekan lalu menyatakan tertarik dengan potensi perikanan di kabupaten yang berada di kepulauan Halmahera itu. “Pemerintah kabupaten siap mendukung kegiatan investasi di bidang perikanan maupun bidang lainnya dengan memberikan berbagai kemudahan bagi para investor. Terutama dalam hal perizinan karena kehadiran mereka pasti akan memberi kontribusi pendapatan bagi daerah dan kesejahteraan masyarakat setempat,” katanya. Dikatakan, dengan dukungan dari pemerintah pusat dan pemerintah provinsi, lanjut dia, Pemerintah Kabupaten Pulau Morotai juga membangun infrastruktur untuk menunjang kegiatan investasi termasuk diantaranya membenahi bandara, membangun jalan dan menambah kapasitas listrik. (*)

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Putu Anandita (tengah) bersama pemenang kategori lainnya pada gelaran pemilihan Miss Coffee Indonesia 2012.

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ontestan asal Bali, Putu Anandita, terpilih menjadi pemenang Miss Coffee Indonesia 2012. Dia terpilih karena pengetahuannya yang mendalam seputar kopi Indonesia. Kontes Miss Coffee Indonesia 2012 dihelat untuk pertama kalinya. Pada malam Grand

photo by tri wibowo

photo by spc

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namanya kemudian juga disebut dalam babak 5 besar. Dari awal, Putu berhasil memikat sembilan orang juri dengan pengetahuannya seputar kopi. Di babak 15 besar, dia ditanya mengenai jenis kopi yang cocok ditanam di tanah gambut. Dengan lugas Putu menjawab, kopi liberica karena akarnya kuat. Jawabannya kembali memukai dewan juri pada babak lima besar, ketika ditanya mengenai manfaat kopi. Di babak ini, dia berhasil mengalahkan kontestan asal Gorontalo, Sulawesi Selatan, Yogyakarta, dan Jakarta II. “Manfaat kopi banyak, tapi favorit saya adalah mencegah kanker payudara, melancarkan peredaran darah, mencegah kanker pankreas dan usus, dan lain-lain,” Putu menjelaskan. Dengan pengetahuan mendalam mengenai kopi dan kecakapan menjawab pertanyaan dewan juri, Putu pun berhasil membawa pulang mahkota Miss Coffee Indonesia 2012. Sementara, Runner Up 4 diraih oleh Rizki Anindya (Gorontalo), Runner Up 3 Andi Aisyah Shinta Devi (Sulawesi Selatan), Runner Up 2 Wilda Ayu Mandasari (Yogyakarta), dan Runner Up 1 Bianca Beatrice (DKI Jakarta 2). Kemudian, penghargaan Miss Congeniality diraih Yuliana Natalia Menufandu (Papua), Miss Intelligence Rizkha Monica Dewi (Banten), dan Miss Talent Mutiarani (Jambi). Para pemenang dinilai oleh dewan juri yang terdiri dari Kuntari Sapta Nirwandar (Ketua Kompetisi), Vita Gamawan Fauzi , Prof. Wiendu Nuryanti (Wamendikbud bidang kebudayaan), HE. Alice Mageza MS (Duta Besar Zimbabwe untuk Indonesia), HE. Edoardo Goldaron Ladesma (Duta Besar Ekuador untuk Indonesia), Inggrid Syarifudin Hasan (Anggota DPR), Firmansyah Rahim (Dirjen Pengembangan Destinasi Pariwisata Kemenparekraf), Mien Uno (Presdir Lembaga Pendidikan Duta Bangsa), Pranoto Soenarto (Direktur PT Excelso), Karlina D Chandra (Ketua pelaksana Miss Coffee Indonesia), Cicie Sulisto, Wawa Sugimurwati (pakar kecantikan). Ketua Kompetisi, Kuntari Sapta Nirwandar mengatakan setelah kontes ini, Putu bersiap mengikuti kontes Miss Coffee International 2012 bersama Miss Coffee lainnya dari seluruh dunia pada Oktober mendatang di Bali. “Pelaksanaan Miss Coffee Indonesia ini juga diharapkan untuk dapat lebih mendorong tumbuh dan berkembangnya industri kopi dalam negeri, dan juga mendorong perkembangan Pariwisata Kuliner Indonesia khususnya kuliner kopi Indonesia agar menjadi sebuah life style,” ujar Kuntari. (*)

Liburan Sekolah, Wisnus Ditargetkan Naik 10%

8.344 Pramuwisata di Bali Telah Bersertifikasi

ingga 2011 sebanyak 8.344 pramuwisata di Bali telah memiliki sertifikasi dan kartu tanda pengenal pramuwisata. Kepala Seksi Standarisasi Bidang Sumber Daya Pariwisata Bali I.A Pradnyawati mengatakan para pramuwisata tersebut melayani wisatawan dari 14 negara yang berkunjung ke Pulau Bali. Untuk mengantongi sertifikat mereka harus memenuhi sejumlah persyaratan yang berlaku. “Pramuwisata harus sesuai dengan Peraturan Daerah No 5/2008, minimal berijazah D3, punya KTP Bali dan minimal tinggal di Bali selama dua tahun. Selama tinggal di Bali mereka harus memahami betul dan mampu mengembangkan dan menjelaskan pariwisata baik agama dan budaya Hindu khususnya. Pramuwisata harus memahami betul objek wisata yang ada dan mengikuti kursus kurang lebih dua bulan,” ujarnya. Dikatkan, pramuwisata, merupakan sumber daya pariwisata yang perlu dibina karena semakin banyaknya para pramuwisata yang tidak memiliki kartu tanda pengenal atau ilegal sehingga para wisatawan bisa merasa ayam. Di Bidang SDP ada tim khusus yang untuk membina tidak ada massanya kapan saja bisa diajukan dan mereka minimal harus fasih bahasa Inggris, Jepang dan Indonesia. “Selain itu, SDP Bali mencatat adapun pramuwisata khusus di tiga tempat yaitu Besakih, Gunung Batur dan Alas Kedaton dengan rincian 285, 51 dan 98 total 434 orang. Sebanyak itu mereka adalah orang yang paham betul akan tempat wisata khusus tersebut,” katanya. Ditambahkannya, berdasarkan data Himpunan Pramuwisata Indonesia (HPI) memperkirakan sekitar 30% pemandu wisata yang beroperasi di Bali ilegal. Dari 5.000 pramuwisata, sebanyak 1.500 atau 30% lebih ilegal tidak memiliki lisensi. (*)

Final yang digelar di SMESCO Building, Jakarta, Senin (4/6), Putu Anandita dinobatkan sebagai pemenang dengan mengalahkan 36 kontestan lain dari 33 provinsi di seluruh Indonesia. Wanita berkulit eksotis ini awalnya lolos babak penyisihan 15 besar,

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sosiasi Perusahaan Perjalanan Pariwisata (ASITA) Bali telah menargetkan kenaikan jumlah wisatawan nusantara (wisnus) pada liburan sekolah tahun ini hingga

10%. Wakil Ketua ASITA Bali Ketut Ardana mengatakan memasuki liburan sekolah Juni hingga Juli kunjungan wisatawan khususnya domestik akan mengalami lonjakan setiap

tahunnya. “Citra pulau Bali sudah terkenal hampir di seluruh dunia dan masih menjadi favorit untuk dikunjungi terutama pada liburan sekolah dimana kebanyakan para wisatawan yang datang bersama dengan keluarga,” ujarnya. Dikatakan, diprediksikan lama tinggal dan liburan para wisatawan domestik maksimal tiga hari dua malam. Bali tidak perlu khawatir lagi akan kurangnya kamar, sekarang makin banyak penambahan city hotel ini bukti Bali siap terima lonjakan wisatawan dan masyarakat Indonesia minat untuk berwisata sudah cukup tinggi. “Paket liburan untuk destinasi sangat banyak dan menjadi kontributor utama penjualan paket selama masa liburan sekolah, namun sayangnya masih banyak paket wisata linburan sekolah hanya mengunjungi lokasi wisata yang sudah-sudah seperti Tanah Lot, Kintamani, Bedugul dan Kuta,” ujarnya. Ditambahkannya, Asita berharap para anggota biro perjalanan bisa membuat paket wisata yang kreatif karena Bali itu luas dan banyak lokasi wisata yang belum terekspos seperti Bali Timur khususnya dari sisi wisatawan domestik. “Selain itu Asita juga menargetkan kenaikan wisatawan mancanegara hingga 10% dimana kebanyakan dari negara Australia yang paling dekat dengan Bali,” ungkapnya. (*)

Bali Perlu Benahi Infrastrukturnya

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etua Umum Partai Golkar Aburizal Bakrie mengatakan Bali sebagai penghasil devisa terbesar dari pariwisatanya memerlukan pembenahan dari sisi infrastrukturnya sehingga ke depan persoalan kemacetan dapat diatasi. “Infrastruktur di Bali sangat lemah karena terlihat kemacetan di mana-mana. Ia berharap agar ke depan infrastruktur di Bali perlu dibenahi dengan alokasi anggaran dari pemerintah. Dari sisa anggaran lebih APBN sebenarnya banyak plot anggaran yang bisa dipakai untuk membenahi infrastruktur tersebut,” ujar Ical. Dikatakan, kira-kira mungkin mencapai Rp45 triliun sampai Rp60 triliun, untuk pembenahan infrastruktur, Bali tidak perlu sebesar itu setahun, diperkirakan sekitar Rp2 triliun sampai Rp3 triliun setahun dalam APBN, itu sudah cukup. “Infrastruktur seharusnya mendapat perhatian lebih terutama pada daerah-daerah yang sedang berkembang seperti Bali, NTB dan

NTT. Jadi, menurutnya infrastruktur itu kata kunci dalam pembangunan. Jika infrastruktur baik, lanjutnya perekonomian berkembang dan rakyat makin sejahtera. Untuk sekarang, menurutnya beberapa daerah belum menca-

photo by spc

photo by tri wibowo

Wakil Bali Sabet Gelar Miss Coffee Indonesia 2012

Aburizal Bakrie

pai itu,” katanya. Ditambahkannya, jadi kalau ditanya apa yang harus dahulu dibenahi, jawabannya insfrastruktur sesudah itu baru keamanan dan hukum yang harus kita benahi,” ungkapnya. (*)

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Firmansyah Rahim (kiri) dan Achyaruddin bersama para pembicara Bondan Winarno, Yos WK Amerta dan Jhonnie Sugiarto dalam lokakarya yang digelar Forum Wartawan Pariwisata dan Ekonomi Kreatif.

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ariwisata kini menghadapi tren perubahan paradigma dari massive tourism (wisata massal) menjadi special interest tourism (wisata minat khusus). Direktur Pengembangan Wisata Minat Khusus dan Mice Kementerian Pariwisata dan Ekonomi Kreatif (Kemenparekraf) Achyaruddin mengatakan tidak perlu lagi yang dikejar kuantitas, tetapi yang kita kejar kualitas. Walau cuma wisman (wisatawan mancanegara) 8 juta, tetapi kualitasnya yang dihitung. Ia menambahkan kualitas dapat diukur dari expenditure atau lenght of stay. Penilaian expenditure dihitung dari jumlah uang yang dikeluarkan wisman saat berwisata. Sementara lenght of stay diukur dari lamanya wisatawan menginap di suatu destinasi wisata. “Niche market (pasar ceruk) ini bisa menjadi kekuatan pariwisata Indonesia,” kata Achyaruddin saat Lokakarya Perspektif Pengembangan dan Promosi Wisata Minat Khusus, Konvensi, Insentif dan Even di Via Renata Hotel, Cimacan, Cianjur, Jawa Barat, Sabtu (16/6). Sebab, lanjutnya, Indonesia memiliki garis pantai yang panjang, gunung yang banyak, bahkan budaya dan kuliner yang sangat beragam. Hanya saja, ungkapnya, pengembangan wisata minat khusus tersebut harus fokus. Sementara itu, Dirjen Pengembangan Destinasi Pariwisata Kemenparekraf, Firmansyah menyebutkan fokus pengembangan diperlukan mengingat Indonesia memiliki alam dan budaya yang sangat beragam dan semuanya dapat dikembangkan sebagai wisata minat khusus. “Seperti wisata bahari, kami targetkan ke tiga hal, yacht, cruise, dan

terhadap krisis. Sebab, sebagian besar pelanggan mereka adalah wisatawan mancanegara,” katanya. Ditambahkannya, baru tiga bulan krisis, perusahaan sudah goyang. Pariwisata Indonesia sudah beberapa kali menghadapi krisis. Krisis pertama saat Perang Teluk (tahun 1991). Saat itu hotel-hotel di Bali menjual 2 for 1 atau menjual 2 malam dengan harga 1 malam. Karena kurang juga, ada yang kasih harga 1 malam untuk 3 malam, bahkan sampai ada yang jual untuk 4 malam dengan harga 1 malam. Oleh karena itu, lanjutnya, perlu adanya bantuan modal untuk perusahaan-perusahaan yang ada di daerah. Apalagi, perusahaan asing semakin banyak yang masuk Indonesia. Perusahaan Indonesia makin banyak berguguran. Perusahaan asing hari ke hari semakin banyak. Saat krisis, perusahaan Indonesia tidak punya tamu, mau pinjam modal ke bank, bunga bank malah saat krisis naik dari 30% menjadi 60%. Permodalan, tambah Yos, tidak kalah penting. Dunia pariwisata sudah dibicarakan sejak 30 tahun yang lalu, namun perbankan di Indonesia tidak ada kredit khusus untuk bidang pariwisata . Selain itu, perusahaan Indonesia kalah bersaing dengan perusahaan asing karena beberapa hal. “Perusahaan asing datang dengan membawa knowledge dan tren, hal yang belum tentu dimiliki perusahaan lokal. Tambahan lagi, perusahaan asing datang ke Indonesia dengan membawa jaringan bisnis mereka yang sudah kuat. Seringkali jaringan tersebut tak dimiliki oleh perusahaan Indonesia. Selain itu, teknologi sudah menjadi bagian dari perusahaan-perusahaan asing tersebut,” ungkapnya. Mereka punya website, lanjutnya ketika website mereka sudah berjalan, kita masih lengah dengan bertanya-tanya kenapa di sebelah tamunya banyak, kita tidak. Ternyata teknologi begitu penting untuk pengembangan pariwisata Indonesia. Saat ini Kemenparekraf tengah memfokuskan pengembangan produk wisata minat khusus. Salah satu temanya adalah wisata bahari. Wisata bahari dibagi ke dalam tiga fokus, yaitu diving, yacht, dan cruise. (*)

diving. Ada target-targetnya, seperti yacht di 2015 kami targetkan kedatangan 15 ribu yacht,” tuturnya. Selain wisata bahari, wisata minat khusus yang akan dikembangkan adalah wisata kuliner. Menurut Firmansyah, perlu adanya standarisasi pada masakan-masakan Indonesia, termasuk dimodifikasi sesuai lidah orang asing. “Wisata kesehatan, sudah mencoba dua pola perjalanan untuk wisata kesehatan. Sekarang kawan-kawan kementerian kesehatan mengundang kita untuk perbaikan rumah sakit dengan kaitan wisata kesehatan. Bisa combine dengan spa juga,” katanya. Kementerian Pariwisata dan Ekonomi Kreatif tengah mengembangkan wisata minat khusus dengan tujuh tema yaitu wisata budaya dan sejarah; wisata alam dan ekowisata; wisata olah raga rekreasi; w i s a t a k a p a l p e s i a r ; w i sa ta kuliner dan belanja; wisata

kesehatan dan kebugaran; serta wisata konvensi,insentif, pameran, dan even.

Didominasi Perusahaan Asing Perusahaan-perusahaan yang bergerak di wisata bahari di Indonesia yang masih didominasi oleh perusahaan asing. Menurut Ketua Gabungan Pengusaha Wisata Bahari (Gahawisri) Bali, Yos WK Amerta mengatakan bahkan di Bali perusahaan operator diving dan watersport ada sekitar 200. Yang saya takutkan perlahan-lahan perusahaan Indonesia hilang. Ambil contoh yang operator di Pulau Komodo, tinggal dua perusahaan Indonesia yang bermain di Pulau Komodo dan sisanya perusahaan asing. “Wisata bahari baru berkembang setelah semakin meningkatnya kunjungan wisatawan penggemar surfing. Mulai berkembangnya perusahaan bergerak di wisata bahari di Indonesia, terjadi 30 tahun yang lalu,” ujarnya. Dikatakan yang pertama itu di Bali untuk perusahaan bergerak di wisata bahari, namanya Baruna Watersport. Baru munculah beberapa perusahaan wisata bahari di Indonesia. Saya sendiri baru di gelombang kedua dan perusahaan saya sudah 20 tahun. “Memang memiliki perusahaan yang bergerak di wisata bahari dan berbasis di Bali. Perusahaan-perusahaan Indonesia di bidang wisata bahari tersebut mulai menghilang terutama karena tidak tahan

photo by tri wibowo

photo by tri wibowo

Gaet Wisatawan Berkualitas Melalui Wisata Minat Khusus

Chill In Resto - BEST WESTERN Kuta Villa BEST WESTERN KUTA VILLA-Bali Indonesia, kini memperkenalkan restaurant: Chill in Resto dengan konsep “open air-pool view” yang masih alami. Resto ini bverkapasitas 60 kursi, di buka setiap harinya untuk Breakfast, Lunch dan Dinner, serta menyediakan makanan nasional dan juga internasional. Di bulan Juni ini, Chill in Resto menawarkan paket makan siangyang cepat, enak dan hemat, yaitu Express Lunch Set Menu “ Wisata Kuliner”, sajian cita rasa makanan khas Indonesia. Mulai jam 12 siang sampai 3 sore. Promo ini berlaku untuk setiap hari. Dapatkan penawaran menarik “ Makan ber-lima hanya bayar 4 saja” atau D iskon 10%. Jangan lupa berikan kartu nama anda untuk mendapatkan Room Voucher menginap di BEST WESTERN Kuta Villa yang akan diundi tanggal 30 Juni’12. Di after hour, Pool Bar menyediakan Mocktail Euro 2012 pilihan sensasi minuman “Punches” yang segar dan Happy Hour “Beli 1 Gratis 1”. Dapatkan juga special diskon 50% untuk Burger, Sandwich, dan Finger Food favorit anda. Jadi tunggu apa lagi, segera hubungi reservasi : 0361-756 565 atau e-mail : reser-

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[email protected]

Visit Jateng 2013 Bakal Tawarkan 50 Atraksi Wisata

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isit Jawa Tengah Year 2013 akan dimeriahkan dengan 50 atraksi wisata dan atraksi tersebut tersebar di seluruh kabupaten/kota di Jawa Tengah. Kepala Bidang Pemasaran Dinas Kebudayaan dan Pariwisata Jawa Tengah, Trenggono mengatakan atraksi wisata diselenggarakan sepanjang tahun. Tidak ada bulan yang kosong dari agenda. Macam agenda wisata seperti David Copperfield Show di Februari 2013, Wayang International Festival pada Mei 2013, Borobudur International Festival pada Juni 2013, dan Semarang Great Sale pada Juni-Juli 2013. “Untuk keperluan promosi, pihak Dinas Pariwisata sudah mencetak 5 ribu panduan wisata dan sudah disebarkan ke berbagai agen wisata atau saat mengikuti pameran di dalam maupun di luar negeri,” ujarnya. Dikatakan, dengan 50 agenda wisata di atas, pihak Dinas Pariwisata berharap 25 juta wisatawan domestik dan 500 ribu wisatawan mancanegara (wisman) akan berkunjung ke Jawa Tengah sepanjang 2013. Tahun lalu, wisatawan domestik yang datang ke Jawa Tengah sebanyak 21,8 juta orang dan kalau wisman hanya 381 ribu orang. “Wisman biasanya lebih lama berdiam di Jawa Tengah maka pengeluaran atau belanja wisatawan juga akan lebih banyak. Pengeluaran wisatawan domestik pada 2011 tercatat Rp401 ribu per hari dan diharapkan naik menjadi Rp500 ribu per hari. Lalu untuk wisman bisa naik dari US$611,28 menjadi US$635 per hari pada 2013,” katanya. Ditambahkannya, mengingat seluruh agenda wisata di atas dimiliki daerah, maka diharapkan setiap daerah giat mempromosikan agenda wisata di daerahnya masing-masing. Pemerintah provinsi, siap memfasilitasi untuk promosi bersama. Misalnya kami mau promosi ke luar daerah seperti Bali, kami bisa ajak daerah ikut serta berpromosi. Sementara Ketua Badan Promosi Pariwisata Daerah Surakarta Hidayatullah Al Banjari mengatakan ada 10 agenda wisata di Surakarta yang masuk dalam 50 atraksi utama di Jateng pada 2013. Misalnya Solo Batik Carnival, Solo Keroncong Festival, Mangkunegaran Performing Art, dan Solo Keroncong Festival. “Tapi kami masih punya banyak agenda wisata yang akan kami promosikan secara mandiri. Promosi dilakukan dengan membuat paket wisata yang menggabungkan beberapa atraksi dan obyek wisata sekaligus. Sedangkan untuk wisatawan yang dibidik, lebih condong ke wisatawan domestik. Karena faktanya 98% wisatawan yang berkunjung ke Surakarta adalah wisatawan domestik,” ungkapnya. (*)


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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

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