BALI UPDATE #294 - 06 May 2002

We Get Mail - Visa Fees and Ape Planets

Bali Update Readers Write to Tell Us What's on Their Minds

Planet of the Apes?

First, a light-hearted reader's suggestion concerning the flight by South Africa's Space Tourist:

When Mark Shuttleworth (the very rich space tourist) returns from space, everybody should dress up in ape suits.

This will only work if we all do it.

Editorial: Make it Ticket Inclusive, Please!

Ms. Alene Freidenrich afdfinphx@aol.com, from Phoenix, Arizona (U.S.A.) wrote to share her comments on the Bali Update Editorial discussing how to apply the proposed visa fee:

If the Indonesian Government feels that it is important to insist on this visa fee, please make it inclusive in the ticket price and then make the visa as easy to obtain as the Australian Visa.

In obtaining an Australian Visa, the pertinent details of one's passport are input into the airline PNR computer information. It is user-friendly and makes visa issuance a snap.

Please Indonesia, come into the 21st Century!

Is Indonesia Making it Too Hard to Sell Tourism?

Mr. Peter Lyndorf lyngdorf@trade-info.dk, a reader from Denmark wrote to add his comments on the same subject:

First of all, thanks for your outstanding reports from Bali.

I visited Bali first time 1996. After 40 years in the travel industry in Europe, I saw the great potential of not only Bali, but all of Indonesia after having visited several of the other islands too.

Since then I have had 16 groups in Indonesia with me as tour leader, in most of the tours I had included Bali. My guests are mostly retired people from Denmark and Sweden, all well established and well educated. I arrange these tours for people who are "young enough to have the guts, old enough to have the time, and money enough to pay the price".

We have visited Bali, Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, Lombok, Sumbawa, Flores, Komodo, Sumba, Biak and,recently, West Papua.

On my most recent tours I noticed how few tourists I saw compared with the situation only one year before. Bali was very bad. During 10 days in West Papua we met 6 other foreign visitors, one from Japan, five from the United States.

I also noticed the rise in the airport taxes. My incoming agent had told me Rp. 50.000 for international flights from Java. A few days before our departure it was raised to Rp. 100.000 with very short notice.

Several of my guests stay for a longer time after the group goes home, mostly in Bali.

It is very difficult to collect a group for destination Indonesia. Most people have a negative impression of this tourist destination, and the reasons for this you know better than I do. Furthermore Indonesia has no tourist representation in the Scandinavian countries anymore. Garuda only has one small office in Stockholm. There are no brochures available, and a request for marketing material from tourist offices in Indonesia normally results in nothing.

Indonesias competitors in the region like Thailand, Malaysia and Vietnam do very good business here in Scandinavia. Thailand alone has more than 200.000 tourists a year from here.

Well, back to the visa fee and shorter duration of stay. If Indonesia wants to implement suicide in tourism, then go ahead with this.

More information: Share Your Comments with balidiscovery.com

And The Winner Is . . .

A Bali Update Reader from Massachusetts Wins The Bali Dream Holiday!

Gosh! It was tough deciding who was the final winner from among the many interesting and varied entries in the Bali Dream Holiday Contest.

In fact, we've received so many great submissions that we've decided to continue to include some of the quality entries that have not yet been published over the coming issues of Bali Update.

And The Winner is ...

Marsha L. Browner, mbrowne@110.net, from Winchester, Massachusetts (U.S.A.), who sent in the entry published in week #16 of the contest was finally selected as the Contest Winner.

As a result, she's won 2 tickets on Singapore Airlines, 7 nights at the Four Seasons Private Estates Bali at Jimbaran Bay, tours and transfers from Bali Discovery Tours, rafting and cycling excursions from Sobek, luxurious spa treatments from Mandara Spa, a helicopter tour from Air Bali, and Cooking Lessons from Bumbu Bali/Rumah Bali.

balidiscovery.com will be in touch with Marsha this week to begin arrangements for her dream holiday to Bali.

Here's Marsha's Entry for those of you who missed it first time around.

My Dream Holiday in Bali

When we dream, our memories come alive. My dream holiday in Bali encompasses all my senses, enriches my spirit, and carries me to the Navel of the World.

I see Ibu's glorious smile as we arrive unannounced at her home. I see the colors shift subtly following dawn, the sacred mountain Agung revealing itself in the clearing mists, shy as a new lover. I watch the clouds catch fire as the sun sets into the ocean, beyond the fishing boats dotting the lagoon.

I hear the music of a gamelan drifting across the fields, beyond the Monkey Forest. I hear the bell in the priest's uplifted hand ringing as he prays, calling down blessings to the worshippers in the temple. My ears fill with the clamor of children who run up the road shrieking, "Hallo! Hallo!" Their friendly little arms wave furiously as we drive by. I fall asleep to the lullaby of croaking frogs, barking dogs, and the hollow knocking of the kulkul, reassuring me that all is well in the village.

I touch a butterfly's brilliant wing as it lights on my arm. The boy who leads the ducks to the rice fields, singing softly to himself as he sways the beribboned staff, has cheeks as soft as feathers. The sun's heat warms my bones, and when it rains, the gentle slide of raindrops sluice down my face as I make my way to the bungalow.

I smell wood fires, coconut oil, and cooking herbs; clove cigarettes, mixed with flowers and sea breezes. The flowers, a riot and profusion of aroma and color, grow in every available inch of ground that does not already produce rice, vegetables, coconuts, bananas, or other delicious fruit.

I hunger for the tastes of babi guling, lawar, and brem, spicy and rich upon my tongue.

Everything is golden on Bali. The golden beach at Kuta, where waves crest and break like a shower of coins. The golden carp, lazing in the lotus ponds. The golden umbrellas lining the climb to Pura Besakih, where gods rest upon gilt thrones. The golden-skinned Balinese, whose natural beauty and grace leaves me breathless with admiration.

In my dream holiday, there is a midnight sky. The Southern Cross hovers above the horizon, the star clusters glinting silver, red, and gold, like jewels at the throats of deities. They pulse at the galaxy's heart, shining down on Pulau Dewata, Bali, Island of the Gods.

My senses tell me what my heart already knows -- when I dream of Bali, I dream of paradise.

Shell Out for a Shell

WWF Indonesia Launches its 2002 Adopt a Turtle Program.

Based on the encouraging support for the WWF Adopt a Turtle program last year, the World Wildlife Fund for Nature (WWF) has launched a similar program for 2002, targeting 85 turtle nests for sponsorship during the coming nesting season (April-September 2002).

Operated in conjunction with the Kurma Asih Turtle Conservation Initiative, the WWF Indonesia Wallacea Program is offering individuals and businesses the opportunity to sponsor turtle nests for Rp. 500,000 (+/-US$50) each. Each nest contains between 50 and 100 turtle eggs. Sponsors are issued certificates of adoption and a membership certificate in the Friends of Sea Turtles - valid for the current nesting season. Every nest bears the name of its sponsor and notification letters are sent to sponsors a few day prior to the anticipated hatching date allowing those in Bali to be on hand for the birth of their turtle offspring. Moreover, a full list of sponsors will be published on the WWF website.

In 2001 the Adopt a Turtle Program attracted the support of 32 sponsors who adopted 74 nests. Of the 5,357 eggs in those nests, a successful hatch rate of 87.47% was achieved resulting in 4,694 turtles being released back into the sea.

Bali Discovery Tours and balidiscovery.com hope you'll join us in supporting the adopt a turtle campaign.

Contact Ms. Putu Lisa Kusuma Mustika, Turtle Communication Office, at the WWF Indonesia Wallacea Program at telephone ++62 361 247125; facsimile ++62 361 236866 or e-mail pliza@wallacea.wwf.or.id.

More information: Visit the WWF Indonesia Web Site

Japan's PM Visits Bali

Prime Minister Koisumi Visits Bali Enroute to Timor.

Japan's Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi made a brief visit to Bali on his way to East Timor on April 29,2002.

Accompanied by the Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary, the Cabinet Secretary, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, members of the General Administration of the Japanese Government, Agriculture Officals, Economists and a group of journalists - the delegation stayed at the Bali Hilton International, for 2 Nights.

Arriving on the evening on April 28th, the delegation were greeted by Mr. Ian E. McKie, Director of Hotel Operations.

Mr. Koizumi and his delegation were accommodated in the Ayodya Palace - Bali Hilton International's Executive wing, while the Resort's Grand Ballroom was converted into a press center for the 36 journalists traveling on the visit.

On April 29, 2002, the party made an early morning departure for East Timor returning to the hotel the same evening. The high-ranking Japanese delegation departed for their next stop, Australia, on April 30, 2002.

More information: Book a Stay at the Bali Hilton International

On the Catwalk

Bali's International Fashion Week May 13-15, 2002

Representatives of Indonesia's burgeoning fashion industry will converge on Bali May 13 15, 2002, to participate in Bali's International Fashion Week.

Centered on the Discovery Kartika Plaza Hotel, buyers of fashion and the fashion press from more than 25 countries will see top national designers exhibit garments, textiles, accessories, and traditional fabrics.

Indonesia's top names in fashion, including Adrianto Halim, Poppy Dharsono, Musa, Dina Midiani, Stephanus Hamy, Widy Budiardjo, Corrie Kastubi, and Denny Khosuma are scheduled to be on hand for this year's event together with top models from Jakarta, Surabaya, and Bali displaying their fashion on the catwalk.

More information: Website for Bali International Fashion Week

Illegal Guides Fined

Government Cracks Down on Unlicensed Guides.

10 unlicensed guides were recently detained and fined in official sweeps conducted at Kerta Gosa Hall of Justice in Klungkung and the nearby Goa Lawah Bat Cave Temple. In all, 10 illegal guides were netted in the raids and charged with violating the provincial laws on tourism.

In a trial conducted on Wednesday, May 1, 2002, the 10 illegal guides were found guilty and fined between Rp. 25,000 and Rp. 45,000.

Regular official checks on guides are carried out across the island with those captured by authorities usually found to be lacking an official guides license or holding an expired permit.

In order to obtain an official guide license in Bali, applicants must follow a guide course, take a written test, and pay a registration fee of Rp. 15,000 to the Government and another separate fee to the guide association.

Garuda: Who's at The Helm?

Although Samudra is Tipped to Lead, No Official Announcement Yet on Who Will Get Garuda's Left Hand Seat.

Indonesia's Minister for State-Owned Enterprises, Laksamana Sukardi, promised that a formal announcement would be made on April 29^th or 30^th regarding who will be named to lead the National Flag Carrier. However, that announcement is yet to be made almost a full week later.

While the position is widely expected to go to the Minister's brother, long-time Garuda Executive Samudra Sukardi, growing dissent is building from those who claim that despite Samudra's obvious qualification for the post, his appointment to the number one job at the Airline would fly in the face of President Megawati's platform to build a government free of collusion, corruption and nepotism.

Critics maintain that a Minister appointing his own Brother to the CEO's role of a major state-owned company would represent a blatant conflict-of-interest and eliminate the distance necessary between the Minister's Office and the Management of a Company he is meant to monitor and control on behalf of the taxpayers.

Ironically, Samudra Sukardi has a long and distinguished career in senior roles at Garuda that qualify him in terms of experience to lead the company. In fact, his sole liability in qualifying for the top position is a Brother sitting as the Minister in charge of the Airline he aspires to lead.

Who Will Lead Garuda ?

balidiscovery.com will carry the story formally announcing Garuda's new boss as soon as an announcement is made. Bookmark balidisocvery.com to keep up to date with this developing story!

Tax Office Adopts A Wider View

In Order to Increase Tax Revenues, Tax Office To Look for Data from New Sources.

Faced with the need to increase tax revenues, the Director General of Taxation has announced plans to begin exchanging information with between government departments and private enterprise in order to bring into line those residents who continue to avoid their tax obligations.

The Director General, Mr. Hadi Poernomo will have obtain important new insights on the tax paying behavior of local tax payers by, for the first time, comparing various information available from the Department of Agriculture, the State Logistic Board, the telephone and electrical company, and the department of vehicle registration. Such data, together with that available from other sources, is expected to show patterns where personal expenditure patterns and life style are out of synch with personal income figures reported to the tax office. The program, already underway, is expected to reap substantial revenues for the government as well as encourage taxpayers to be more forthright under the Indonesian self-assessment tax system.

Recent tax laws changes make foreigners, who spend more than 186 days annually in Indonesia, subject to tax on their world-wide incomes.

The State Budget for 2002 has set a tax revenue target of Rp. 184.7 trillion. The tax office reports that some Rp. 52.349 trillium (29%) of that target had been secured as of April 23, 2002.

Campgrounds of Bali?

Serangan Island Proposed as Campground for UN Meet in May

The Preparatory Committee Meeting IV for the U.N. Conference on Sustainable Development scheduled to take place in Bali May 27 - June 07, is expected to draw up to 6,000 visitors to Bali from around the world. While many of the official delegates from around the world will be staying in one of Bali's many luxury hotels, the many less-affluent attendees representing Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO's), comprising a loose grouping calling themselves the People's Forum, will be seeking less salubrious accommodation.

In response to this anticipated need for low-cost housing during the conference, the Indonesia's People Forum (IPF) has announced its intention to set up a temporary camp on a small island connected to the southern part of the island by a bridge.

According to the IPF's Coordinator, Ngurah Karyadi, the campground to be established at the the abandoned Pulau Serangan Development will provide inexpensive camp facilities for a minimum 1,000 participants drawn from groups representing farmers, women, youth, children, fishermen, the urban poor, and traditional peoples. In order to further conserve cost and reduce the time and expenses needed to rent busses to travel the approximate 30 minutes by road from Serangan Island to the conference venues in Nusa Dua, the IPF is seeking the cooperation of local fishing villages to provide boat transportation across the Benoa Harbor entrance to Nusa Dua, shortening a 30 minute drive to Nusa Dua by road to a mere 500 meter water crossing.

Countering security concerns in connection with the coming conference, the IPF's coordinator confirmed that those represented by his group would be using a variety of means to make their platforms known to the meetings leaders, but emphasized that all such actions would definitely be peaceful in nature.

Another Hike at the Gas Pumps

Only One Month After the Last Gas Hike, Price Goes Up Again.

Effective May 03, 2002, the cost of a liter of fuel increased again, only one month after a similar hike.

A liter of premium grade fuel now costs Rp. 1,750 and diesel fuel Rp. 1,390 a liter.

The rapid drastic increases in the cost of fuel reflect the Government's new policy of removing subsidies on fuel and tying the price to current market prices.

Recent History of Fuel Prices in Indonesia

Date Premium per liter Diesel per liter 8 January 1993 Rp. 700 Rp. 360 5 May 1998 Rp. 1,200 Rp. 600 16 May 1998 Rp. 1,000 Rp. 550 01 April 2000 Rp. 1,150 Rp. 600 16 June 2001 Rp. 1,450 Rp. 900 29 September 2001 Rp. 1,450 Rp. 945 17 January 2002 Rp. 1,550 Rp. 1,510 01 April 2002 Rp. 1,600 Rp. 1,250 03 May 2002 Rp. 1,750 Rp. 1,390

Conspicuous Environmentalism: Unleaded Gas In Time For Conference?

The Government has also announced that efforts are underway to make sure that unleaded gasoline is available at Bali's gas pumps in time for the major United Nation's Conference on Sustainable Development planned for late May. Since Indonesia does not yet produce such fuel, market observers assume the supply will be imported from Singapore.

Whether unleaded gas will continue to be available in Bali after the conference or how local drivers will manage to recalibrate their engines in order to run smoothly with the new energy source remains unanswered questions.

Chinese Market Offers Challenges

Once Lauded as A 'Quick-Cure' for National Tourism, Chinese Market Presents Many Challenges.

Once seen as having the potential of producing upwards of 800,000 visitors a year, the Chinese market is proving to be more troublesome to serve than originally anticipated.

$10,000 Deposit

On the heels of restrictive rules imposed by the Indonesian Government limiting the number of agencies allowed to serve the mainland Chinese market, the 46 national travel agents officially authorized to sell travel to the PRC are now being asked to pay a US$ 10,000 deposit to their Chinese counterparts. The deposit, serving as a performance guarantee, must be paid within 90 days in order to continue to qualify to handle Chinese tourists.

Fixed Rate Tariffs

In order to counteract demands from overseas Chinese agents using their market force to demand very low prices, the Indonesian Chinese Travel Commission (ICTC) - a consortium comprised of Indonesian agents licensed to sell travel to China, is endeavoring to set minimum selling rates for 3 star hotels in Jakarta at US$ 35 a night, Medan at US$25 a night, and Bali at US$30 a night.

Getting Paid Sometimes a Problem

Existing currency control rules enforced by the Chinese Government make it difficult for Indonesian agents to be paid for services provided to Chinese visitors. Present Chinese banking rules impede the outgoing transfers of money, necessitating Indonesian agents travel to China to collect their payments or set up complicated payments procedures via banks in Hong Kong (SAR). These same regulation also limit to US$2,000 the amount of money Chinese citizens are allowed to bring with them when traveling abroad.

Plans are currently under consideration to loosen foreign exchange controls, allowing Chinese travelers the opportunity to bring US$5,000 on trips abroad.

Flights and Visa Problems

Added to all these many problems impeding the promised "boom" in Chinese travelers to Indonesia, is the continuing problems presented by a lack of air service between China and Indonesia and bureaucratic delays in processing visas to Chinese tourist via the sole issuing office - the Indonesian Embassy in Beijing.

Bali Arrivals Increase

March Chalks Up 18.93% Increase.

In the midst of an upswing in foreign tourist arrivals nationwide, Bali recorded an improvement of 18.93% in tourist arrivals for the month of March 2002.

Signaling a hopeful return to better times for the nation's tourism industry, arrivals for the entire nation increased 15.16% for the month. The first quarter demonstrated a cumulative increase of 1.35%, totaling 992,020 visitors via the Country's 13 major gateways.

Among those foreign gateways recording the strongest improvement in arrivals for March were Jakarta's Soekarno Hatta up 16.29%, Batam up 15.97% and Makassar (Ujung Padang) recovering via an increase of 116.05%.