(2/9/2008)
Hotel operators in the Bangli region of Bali, which include the tourist destination of the crater-lake area of Kintamani, met on Tuesday, February 5, 2008, with the executives of Bali's Association of Indonesian Tour and Travel Agents (ASITA) to seek help in restoring Kintamani's reputation as a favorite tourism destination.
The Chairman of Bangli's chapter of the Indonesian Hotel and Restaurant Association (PHRI), I Ketut Putranata, called on ASITA to lend support to hotels and restaurants operating at Kintamani.
In response to PHRI's plea of support, the Chairman of ASITA for Bali, Al Purwa, highlighted the aggressive attitude of hawkers and the unregulated construction of businesses on the volcano's rim which have fundamentally detracted from the attractiveness of the crater-lake's rim as a tourism destination.
A recent incident reported in the local press also told of a physical assault on a licensed guide by local hawkers when a group he was leading refused to purchase their merchandise.
Illegally constructed restaurants and souvenir shops are obstructing the magnificent panoramic view of the lake and inner-volcano, while more than 600 hawkers aggressively selling trinkets and souvenirs prompt many tourists to "give a miss" to visiting the Kintamani volcano.
Against a pledge by local business operators in the Bangli regency to substantially improve the conditions at Kintamani, ASITA has promised to do its best to urge its members to keep an open mind towards once again including Kintamani in their Bali tour itineraries.
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