- Causing Concern: Visa Rules under Review
- Bali & Beyond: Borobudur Travel Mart
- Domestic Airlines - A Drastic Decline in Seats
- A Bend in the River Leadership Program
- Tourism Attaches at Indonesian Embassies?
- Bali & Beyond: Over 110 Buyers Expected At TIME '99
- Hotel Bali Rani Upgrades Facilities
- Melia Bali Wins the Nusa Dua Festival
- Save The Turtles - Hero Obeys the Rules
- Shangri-La Withdraws from Bali Dynasty
- Bon Odori Oct 13-15 At Bali Hilton
- Australian Free-Lance Journalist To Visit

 

CAUSING CONCERN: VISA RULES UNDER REVIEW

Officials of the Indonesian Immigration department have recently caused widespread concern in tourism circles with a suggestion that the visa-on-arrival facility enjoyed by some 48 countries be reviewed and revoked for citizens from those 43 countries which do not extend reciprocal privileges to holders of Indonesian passports.

Tourism industry leaders have been fairly unanimous is urging caution before such a move is formally adopted pointing to the leading role played by tourism in producing desperately needed foreign exchange earnings. Genuine concern also exists that Indonesian embassies abroad are ill-equipped to quickly and efficiently handle visa applications and the added expense and bureaucracy of having to apply for a visa beforehand would make the Indonesian tourism product non-competitive with other destinations in the region. In fact, many argue that the growth of the Indonesian tourism sector dates from the commencement of the visa on arrival facility introduced in the late 1970's.

Meanwhile, the Director General of Tourism, Art and Culture, Mr. I. Gede Ardika has been quoted in the local press as pointing out that the current visa-on-arrival facility was extended by Presidential decree and that the proposed change, based on reciprocity, should only be taken if the Government genuinely determines it no longer needed tourist arrivals or wishes to curtail arrivals from specific countries.

PATA Bali Chapter is preparing a formal letter to the Director General of Tourism, Art and Culture urging current visa policies from major source countries not be changed. Major wholesalers and interested others are urged to do the same.

Whatever other considerations may be at play here, removal of the visa-on-arrival facility will set Indonesian tourism back 20 years.

 

BALI & BEYOND: BOROBUDUR TRAVEL MART

25 Buyers from ASEAN and Hong Kong are expected to attend the Borobudur Travel Mart (BTM) scheduled to be held in Solo, Central Java, October 31- November 13.

Headquartered at the Hotel Sahid in Solo, the 13 day event forms a part of the Begawan Solo Fair being held in the classic setting of the home city of one of the island's main Sultanates. Solo is only a short distance from a number of important historical sites including the Borobudur Temple.

 

DOMESTIC AIRLINES - A DRASTIC DECLINE IN SEATS

Although not reflected in Bali arrival statistics which generally focus only on direct international arrivals, Bali has suffered over the past 2 years a tremendous downturn in passenger arrivals on domestic flights from other Indonesian ports. Domestic tourists, suffering from the national economic downturn, have declined together with the number of foreign tourists who, in former times, arrived on domestic flights after first visiting other cities in Indonesia.

Where 747's and A-300's formerly flew on an almost hourly basis from Jakarta and other cities, much smaller 737's now operate at lower daily frequencies. Bankruptcy by Sempati Airlines and reduced flights by other national carriers between December 1997 and March 1999 represent a 63.9% decrease in total passenger seats available nation-wide on domestic flights.

To "kick start" the domestic aviation industry and literally get the country moving again, existing airlines and potential start-up operators are now looking at charter operations to various domestic destinations. Foreign investors interested in joint-venture airline operations are also being sought in order to position Indonesia to play an active role in Asia-Pacific air travel, expected to boom in the first decade of the new millenium.

 

A BEND IN THE RIVER LEADERSHIP PROGRAM

Many people in Bali have had a preview of what John Vamos and Bruce Haddon can offer from the "Increasing Productivity" Seminar held last June at the Grand Hyatt Hotel. Now these two dynamic presenters are back in Bali for a Business Thinking Systems Conference, ready to share their thoughts and practical business strategies for leadership into the new millennium.

From Sunday, September 11, until Tuesday, September 14, these two outstanding trainers will be in Bali at Nusa Dua with a program entitled "A Bend in the River: The Ultimate Leadership Program" organized by Tirian Training. A river's course is not determined at one particular point, but by the options available to it at each turn. How that river came to be at that particular bend depends on everything that came before. What happens at each turning point determines its present course and limits or expands its future possibilities. "A Bend in the River" describes those turning points in our lives. Current registration for "A Bend in the River" has over 100 Australian businesses attending with a number of spaces being reserved for late, local registration in Bali.

In addition to John Vamos, the managing director of Business Thinking System, and Bruce Haddon, creative director of Haddon Perceptions, the Bali program will also feature a number of leading CEO's and Managing Directors of top Austral-Asian corporations.

For more details about this seminar contact Andrew Grant at Tirian. Email to : info@tirian.com

website www.tirian.com

 

TOURISM ATTACHES AT INDONESIAN EMBASSIES?

Plans are currently under consideration to appoint a tourism attaché to be assigned to Indonesia Embassies in order to address the promotional vacuum created by the closure of all 7 overseas tourism information offices.

The Director General of Tourism, Art and Culture, Mr. I. Gede Ardika, stated that he has requested assistance from the Department of Foreign Affairs to help promote Indonesian tourism. A memorandum of understanding is said to now be in the final stages of preparation that will formalize the Foreign Affairs Department's responsibility in ensuring its overseas delegates promote tourism.

Bali tourism supports Mr. Ardika's initiative and anything Else that will help promote the national tourism industry. Hopefully, training in tourism and Indonesian destinations will be included in the proposed memorandum as Bali will certainly be prepared to provide familiarization programs for those selected to spread the word on Indonesian tourism at our Embassies abroad.

 

BALI & BEYOND: OVER 110 BUYERS EXPECTED AT TIME '99

Organizers of the Tourism Indonesia Mart and Expo '99 (TIME '99) report more than 110 buyers from 25 countries are expected to be on hand in Jakarta September 21-25. In order the lure buyers to the event, buyers are paying only US$250 which will cover accommodation and mart registration and are eligible for 50% discounts on air transportation in connection with the event.

Some 129 sellers from 17 different Indonesian provinces are already registered to participate. A limit of 150 sellers has been sent for the mart.

 

HOTEL BALI RANI UPGRADES FACILITIES

Hotel Bali Rani has just upgraded the facilities with a Spa & Massage Center. Services being offered in the new facility include a fitness center, sauna, massage, a beauty salon and general spa services.

For further information contact Hotel Bali Rani Phone. 62-361-751369, facsimile 62-361-752673

E-mail: balirani@denpasar.wasantara.net.id

 

MELIA BALI WINS THE NUSA DUA FESTIVAL

The Melia Bali Resort again placed first out of 14 entries in the 1999 Nusa Dua Festival held August 27 to 02 September. Participants were judged during the opening grand procession for their presentation, creativity, design and concept to showcase Bali's colorful lifestyle. In addition to the opening parade, each hotel also participated in unique cultural demonstrations during the 7-day event.

Melia Bali's award winning parade consisted of more than 100 resort staffs from various departments adorned in traditional Balinese ceremonial dress. Within the procession Melia Bali's team demonstrated authentic wedding attire. The centerpiece of the grand procession was Melia Bali's unique and very large "Garuda Wisnu" statue carried by 25 hotel staff wearing black and white "Saput" sarongs.

This year's festival, the third in what is hoped to be an annual event on Bali's calendar, was extremely successful with more than 1200 participants and 8000 guests attending the 7-day event.

Full marks to Mr. A.A. Gede Rai, President Director of the Bali Tourism Development Coporation (BTDC), whose love for his island and decisive management style made this year's Festival a resounding success.

 

SAVE THE TURTLES - HERO OBEYS THE RULES

Proof that the key to enforcing environmental standards in the community is educating the public to those standards was demonstrated this past week when the Hero Supermarket in Bali's capital city of Denpasar withdrew turtle eggs from their shelves following a visit by local environmentalists.

Last week, a team of Balinese from the local office of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) called on the supermarkets to remind them that the sale of the eggs was a clear violation of government regulations protecting endangered species. Once Hero Supermarket's local manager, Sansu Arifin, was made aware of the error of the supermarket's ways, the management of Hero quickly agreed to stop selling the eggs.

Bravo WWF! Bravo Hero Supermarket!

Hero's redemption would be complete, at least in the eyes of this customer, if they estimated the profits derived from past sale of turtle eggs and paid a multiple of that amount to one of several local projects on the island designed to protect the turtles. Now that would really make them a HERO.

 

SHANGRI-LA WITHDRAWS FROM BALI DYNASTY

Effective September 30, Shangri-La Hotels & Resorts have formally withdrawn from the management of the Bali Dynasty Hotel.

Shangri-La Hotels have managed the 267-room hotel since 1990. The company will continue to manage its two deluxe properties in Jakarta and Surabaya.

The withdrawal from the Bali property was reportedly by mutual consent between Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts and the local owner of the hotel, P.T. Dwimitra Nusantara.

 

BON ODORI OCT 13-15 AT BALI HILTON

The Bon Odori is a Japanese Ritual Procession in which ancestors' souls are thought to come back to visit their families on earth. In Japan a special altar is traditionally set with lanterns to welcome the honored ancestors and guide them back to the ancestral home. This important religious event is usually held during the Obon period of 13-15 July and August 15, depending on the region. This year the Bali Hilton International and Japanese community of Bali will mark the Bon Odori festival on September 9, with traditional games on the hotels grounds reminiscent of a summer festival in Japan. A tall central station will be erected which will include a large drum to accompany the singers and dancers who will perform traditional Bon Odori Folklore.

Those wishing to join the celebrations are reminded wear a summer style kimono, called a Yukata.

For more information contact the Bali Hilton at e-mail prbali@balihilton.com

 

AUSTRALIAN FREE-LANCE JOURNALIST TO VISIT

Susan Storm a well-known Australian-based free-lance photojournalist will be in Bali from December 14 - January 13.

Any properties interested in providing accommodation in exchange for coverage in the publications for which Susan writes should contact her at:

Susan Storm
Freelance Photojournalist
PO Box 510
Scarborough 6922
Perth, Western Australia
Phone/fax: 61- (0)8 - 9244-3228
mobile: 61- (0)413-644-100
E-mail: storm@starwon.com.au

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