Indonesia upbeat over its tourism target

Indonesia will most probably achieve its tourism target this year considering that it attracted 4.3 million foreign tourists during the January-July period.

In the coming five months, Indonesia has to record the arrival of another 3.4 million foreign tourists in order to meet its target of 7.7 million in 2011.

"This is good news as the figure shows an increase," Central Bureau of Statistics (BPS) Head Rusman Heriawan said.

He earlier announced that the BPS had recorded the arrivals of 4.34 million foreign tourists up to July 2001, an increase of 7.53 percent from 4.04 million in the same period a year earlier.

The BPS chief said it appeared there was a good chance Indonesia would be able to reach its foreign tourist arrival target for this year set by the government at 7.7 million.

"We still have five more months to wait for the arrivals of 3.4 million other tourists. We hope we can reach it but we have to have an average number of visits of 600,000 (per month). We still have a chance to reach it," Rusman said.

Last month, the country`s chief statistician voiced pessimism saying that it would be hard for the country to achieve its target.

Rusman voiced pessimism owing to the fact that the number of foreign tourist arrivals up to June 2011 was still small. It was recorded at 3.6 million, which was actually also up 6.42 percent from that in the same period a year earlier which was 3.38 million.

"The cumulative number of foreign tourist arrivals in the January - June 2011 period is recorded at 3,597,632 which is 6.42 percent higher than that in a corresponding period in 2010," Rusman Heriawan said last month.

He said that with that figure it was still difficult for Indonesia to achieve its target this year which was set 7.7 million tourist arrivals.

"If the figure of arrivals in the first semester is taken into account it seems that the target of 7.7 million is rather high because if 3.6 million is multiplied by two, the maximum figure of arrivals would only reach 7.2 million," Rusman said.

The number of foreign tourist arrivals in June 2011 was 674.4 thousand, up 12.36 percent from 600.2 thousand in May.

"The figure increased by 9.94 percent compared with the number of those arriving in June 2010 amounting to 613.4 thousand. This increase is attributable to seasonal factors as June is the beginning of the peak season," he said.

In the meantime, the number of foreign tourist arrivals in July 2011 was 745.5 thousand, up 10.54 percent from that in June which was 674.4 thousand.

"Compared with the number of arrivals in July 2010 which was 658.5 thousand, the arrivals in July this year increased 13.21 percent," he said.

Ngurah Rai airport in Bali remained the main entry gate for foreign tourists arriving in Indonesia.

Up to June, five main gates through which foreign tourists entered Indonesia are Ngurah Rai airport (245,248 tourists), Soekarno Hatta airport of Jakarta (164,689), Tanjung Uban port of Bintan Island (32,372), Husein Sastranegara airport of Bandung, West Java (11,079) and Tanjung Pinang port of Riau Islands (11,079).

The number of foreign tourists arriving through Ngurah Rai airport in June 2011 increased by 9.15 percent compared with those arriving in the same period a year earlier, namely 224.7 thousands in June 2010 and 245.2 thousands in June 2011.

While in July 2001, the number of foreign tourists arriving through Bali`s Ngurah Rai airport was recorded at 279.2 thousands, up 10.75 percent from 252.1 thousands in July 2010.

"The same is also true if the June 2011 figure of 245.2 thousands is compared with that of July, 2011, which showed an increase of 13.85 percent," he said.

As a whole, from January to July 2011, the number of foreign tourist arrivals through Ngurah Rai airport reached 1.57 million. The second biggest number of arrivals was recorded at Soekarno-Hatta airport, amounting to 1.11 million.

In the meantime, the average star-rated hotel occupancy rate in 20 provinces in July 2011 reached 58.37 percent, up 4.11 percent from that in July 2010, which was 54.26 percent, he said.

"If compared with that in June 2011, the occupancy rate in July 2011 also recorded an increase by 2.36 points," the BPS chief said.

The Indonesian government early this year announced its optimistic target of attracting 7.7 million foreign tourists into the country in 2011, up about 10 percent from 7,000,571 arrivals in 2010.

The foreign tourist arrival target was raised by about 10 percent because the world now had a good perception of Indonesia that could attract more visitors.

"Indonesia has a positive aura in 2011 so that we set an optimistic target of 7.7 million foreign tourist arrivals in the country," Culture and Tourism Minister Jero Wacik said in his year-end press conference (early this year).

Besides the optimistic target, the minister also set a pessimistic target of 7.3 million arrivals as a "performance contract" target of the culture and tourism ministry with the Indonesian President.

The minister raised the target for 2011 because his ministry`s target to attract seven million foreign tourist arrivals in 2010 was achieved.

The number of foreign tourists arriving in Indonesia in 2010 was recorded at 7,000,571, or an increase by 8.5 percent compared with that in 2009 which stood at 6,452,259 arrivals.

"The figure of 7,000,571 exceeds the pessimistic target of 6.75 percent which was the performance contract with the President and the optimistic target of seven million," the minister said.

Source: Antara

Bali Top Holiday Spot in Asia: Poll

The readers of an online travel magazine have named Bali as the top holiday destination in Asia for 2011.

The poll, conducted by Smart Travel Asia, also picked out several Bali resorts as the top places for a relaxing break.

Bali took the top spot from Kerala, India, which was bumped down to No. 4. Phuket, Thailand, and Hong Kong were the runners-up, respectively.

In terms of top places to stay, a number of Bali resorts were included in the top 25 list, including the Bulgari Resort Bali and the Four Seasons Resort Bali at spots 2 and 3, respectively.

The poll also reported on preferred budget airlines, with AirAsia getting the gold star. Indonesia’s own Lion Air failed to chart.

The poll did not specify the number of voters, but the demographics skewed upscale. According to the magazine, voters took an average of 15.75 air trips over the past year and earned an average annual income of $150,000

Four die at Bogor tourist resort

Four domestic tourists drowned over the weekend at a tourist resort in Bogor, West Java.

The four victims, Taufik Akbar, 26, Ali Hamzah, 20, Rahmat Maulana, 20, and Ivan Fadhillah, drowned in a ravine near a waterfall known as Curug Seribu.

“Right after they arrived at the waterfall the victims went for a swim and were soon sucked into a whirl pool,” Cibungbulang precinct chief Comr. Sartono said as quoted by kompas.com.

The bodies of the four tourists were found by members of a search and rescue team dispatched by the Bogor branch of the Indonesian Red Cross (PMI) on Sunday afternoon.

Tourism minister to organize Sabang yacht festival

Tourism and Culture Minister Jero Wacik says his ministry is now in the middle of preparing an international yacht festival that will take place in Sabang Island, Aceh, mid this month.
Dubbed the International Regatta Festival, the event is expected to attract yacht owners from the world over.
“So far, 26 yachts from Europe, Asia and Australia have registered to participate in the event,” he said on Sunday as quoted by tribunnews.com.
Jero Wacik said the festival is a joint cooperation between Malaysia’s Langkawi tourism resort and Thailand’s famous Phuket beach. He said the event will begin on Sept. 13 in Phuket and then continue to Langkawi before wrapping up in Sabang.
He said the end of the regatta would be marked with an event honoring Aceh’s tsunami victims.

Idul Fitri Good News for Local Tourism

Many of Indonesia’s 237 million people are in the mood for holidaying in the post-fasting Idul Fitri period, and they have flocked to domestic tourist attractions.

The government combined the national holiday with leave days, giving almost everyone nine days off for Idul Fitri 2011. Work starts again on Monday.

The long holiday helped boost transportation and tourism, with about 15.5 million travelers going home to celebrate Idul Fitri with their relatives. And once the prayers were over, they spent the rest of the holiday at the beach and other attractions.

In Jakarta, PT Pembangunan Jaya Ancol official Metty Yan Harahap estimated that at least 1.5 million visitors would flood Ancol Dreamland during the week, at least 10 percent more than during last year` week-long Lebaran holiday.

In addition, on the second day of Idul Fitri, Thursday, at least 45,000 people visited the Taman Mini Indonesia theme park in East Jakarta, said the park’s spokesman, Mas`ud Toyib said. He expected visits would hit a peak Sunday.

In nearby Tangerang, thousands of holiday makers visited the popular Tanjung Pasir beach on Saturday, said beach security coordinator Asmar Yopi. He said the place would stay packed through the weekend as people get as much fun as possible out of the holiday before heading back to work.

Rosidah, a resident of nearby Balaraja, Tangerang, said every year she and her friends visited Tanjung Pasir beach because it’s close to home and easier to reach than the popular seaside Anyer resort in Banten.

"If we go to Anyer, we are also afraid of getting stuck in a traffic jam," she said.

Anyer itself was crowded for its busiest time of the year.

"The peak of tourist arrivals at Anyer is expected this Saturday and Sunday," Secretary of the Indonesian Hotel and Restaurant Association’s Serang Chapter, Sukirman, said Friday.

Cilegon Police Chief Umar Surya Fana said he would deploy extra personnel in Anyer to handle the crush of arrivals over the weekend.

"This weekend, it`s not only the peak of tourist arrivals in Anyer Beach, but also the reverse flow of Idul Fitri travelers from Bakauheni to Merak Seaport," he said.

In West Java, thousands of tourists visiting Mount Papandayan in Garut, West Java ignored a government warning to stay away from the volcano, which erupted recently and has been on alert status since Aug. 13, according to local government spokesperson Dikdik Hendraja.

Also in West Java, at least 25,000 visitors were expected by resorts in the Rancabali region of Bandung District.

"Around 17,000 people already have arrived from various cities in Indonesia. It`s likely that the number of tourist arrivals this year will increase from the previous year," Asep Ester, the chairman of the Bandung Tourism Association, said last week.

Its also been a good time for malls and department stores. In Bekasi, visitors to malls in Cikarang are up about 17 percent after Idul Fitri.

"Visitors come for discounted products, especially garments and Lebaran necessities," Ridwan Arifin, a spokesman for Sentra Grosir Cikarang in Bekasi said on Friday.

The stories are repeated nationwide, from the Punti Kayu forest resort in Palembang to East Java’s Wonorejo Dam and reservoir, where numbers were up sharply.

In Malam, East Java, five to six thousand people a day visited Jatim Park 2 during the holiday, an increase of 40 percent from non-peak times, said an official. Jatim Park 1 saw about 4,000 people a day.

For the wealthy, Australia was a popular destination, with the Australian Embassy getting over 16,000 tourist visa applications in the seven weeks leading up to the holiday.

"Lebaran is a special time for all Indonesians and we`re proud to be able to meet the growing demand for Indonesians visiting Australia," Australian Ambassador Greg Moriarty said in a press release Friday.

Antara

The Guru of Diving in Bali

Most divers surface from the depths with a distinct imprint from their masks — dark red streaks on their faces where the water pressure has raised the blood cells to the surface of the skin. But their temporary brandings quickly fade as the dive boat heads toward dry land.

Nicky Wirawan, however, has the distinct curvature of a dive mask permanently etched in his tanned skin.

Born and bred in Bali, the 41-year-old inherited Bali Marine Sports, the oldest dive shop on the island, from his father, Ketut Wirajaya.

Nicky claims to be nearing his 15,000th dive some time in the next couple of weeks.

Nicky’s name is synonymous with diving in Indonesia — drop it in any dive shop across the archipelago and it’s met with a smile, a pat on the back and a nostalgic story.

“He’s like a mentor,” said Lia Marpaung, a monitor and evaluating officer for the Australia Indonesia Partnership for Economic Governance in Jakarta.

“I’ve been diving with him for three years. I feel safe and comfortable with him. He’s knowledgeable beyond just having dive skills and sensing the currents. He knows how to manage guests. We’re all divers, but we’re also individuals. Nicky knows how to handle our emotions and make us feel calm.”

Lia said that Nicky does not push divers into the water, but has the calming ability to make them feel comfortable in sketchier conditions.

“A while back we were diving around Nusa Penida and there were big waves in the area, so I immediately wanted to cancel the dive,” Lia said. “But Nicky could sense my fear. I feel safe diving with him. Now if I go diving with Bali Marine Sports I always ask, ‘Will Nicky be there?’ ”

Nicky and his crew know all the dive spots in Bali. His father found most of them back in the early 1970s — everything from the deep blue hammerhead shark havens on the west end of Nusa Penida to the wall dives in Menjangan and the wonders of Secret Bay and Jetty Point off the coast of Pemuteran, on the north side of the island.

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More Indonesians visit Australia: Embassy

During the seven weeks leading up to the Idul Fitri holidays, the Australian embassy received more than 16,000 visa applications.
Australian ambassador to Indonesia, Greg Moriarty, was quoted by kompas.com as saying on Friday that this brings the total number of visa applications processed by the embassy between January and August to 58,000.
Moriarty said this shows the bilateral relationship between the two countries is improving.
Moriarty added that around 123,890 Indonesians visited Australia last year, a figure that was 14 percent higher compared to that in 2009.
According to the Australian embassy's immigration agency data, the embassy grants, on average, nine out of 10 visa applications.

Thousands of vacationers swarm tourist resorts

Thousands of vacationers have been flocking to tourist resorts in Kuningan and Cirebon regencies, Java, most of them Idul Fitri homebound travelers from Jakarta.

The tourist sites people are visiting in Cirebon include the Kasepuhan and Kanoman palaces and Sunyaragi cultural park, while the tourist sites in Kuningan include the Linggarjati mountain resort, Sangkanhurip hot spring and Sidomba waterfall.

Meanwhile, those returning experienced congested traffic on the north coast Java highway (Pantura) in Cirebon, West Java, on the second day of Idul Fitri. Hundreds of cars from Central Java heading to Jakarta have begun queuing along Pantura, one of the busiest highways in West Java.

Cirebon Traffic Police Unit chief Adj. Comr. Edwin Afandi said police patrol had been deployed, although the peak of return traffic had not hit yet. “We are trying to minimize accidents and crime rates of homebound and returning traffic,” said Edwin.

Edwin estimated that the return traffic would peak on Sept. 3. “We estimate that on that day, returnees from Central Java to Jakarta would congest Pantura in Cirebon,” he said.

Thursday’s congestion at tourist sites caused a severe traffic jam on the Cirebon-Kuningan route with a traffic jam 15-kilometers long.

In Cianjur, West Java, Antara news agency reported that a bottleneck occurred on the Cianjur-Bandung highway. Traffic backed up dozens of kilometers from Karangtengah district, Cianjur, until Padalarang, West Ban-dung regency, on Thursday.

Traffic along the major highway connecting Cianjur and West Bandung regency is usually smooth on normal days. The congestion worsened due to the presence of unruly drivers and traditional markets with activity overflowing on to the street.

According to the tribunnews.com news portal, more than 15,000 people swarmed Surabaya Zoo in Surabaya, East Java, on Thursday. Zoo spokesman Anthan Warsito said the number of visitors surged over the past three days. The zoo recorded 4,000 visitors on Aug. 30, 7,000 on Aug. 31 and 15,000 on Sept. 1.

“We are optimistic that more than 25,000 people will visit the zoo
today,” Anthan said on Thursday.

In Medan, North Sumatra, Polonia Airport Idul Fitri command post head Ali Sofyan said the number of passengers embarking and disembarking at the domestic and international terminals reached 31,908. “The number of domestic passengers is higher, amounting to 13,303 passengers this year,” Sofyan told tribunnews.com in Medan on Thursday.

In Samarinda, East Kalimantan, activity at the Pasar Pagi River crossing pier rose.

An increased number of people boarded and alighted boats at the pier from morning until noon on Thursday. “People wishing to visit shopping centers and entertainment places in Samarinda city accounted for the increase,” Sura, a boat operator told tribunnews.com on Thursday.

Those who use the Pasar Pagi pier usually visit Samarinda Seberang, Jembatan Pasar, Aji Muksin and
Samarinda Seberang Terminal.

New Wasp Species Discovered in Indonesia Shocks Scientists

An American scientist working with a team of Indonesians scientists has discovered a new giant black warrior wasp species. The wasp will be added to the list of items named after the country’s national symbol, the mythical bird Garuda.

The insect-eating predator was discovered by Lynn S. Kimsey, a professor of entomology and the director of the Bohart Museum of Entomology at the University of California, Davis, while working with 12 scientists from the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) during an expedition to the Mekongga Mountains of Sulawesi.

Scientists are shocked by the discovery of the insect, with the male wasp measuring approximately two-and-a-half inches long. Its large jaw may play a defensive and reproductive role similar to other wasps.

“Its jaws are so large that they wrap up either side of the head when closed. When the jaws are open they are actually longer than the male’s front legs. I don’t know how it can walk,” Kimsey said in a news release. “The females are smaller but still larger than other members of their subfamily, Larrinae.”

“The first time I saw the wasp I knew it was something really unusual,” Kimsey said. “I’m very familiar with members of the wasp family Crabronidae that it belongs to but had never seen anything like this species of Dalara. We don’t know anything about the biology of these wasps. They are only known from southwestern Sulawesi.”

Much of Sulawesi’s biosphere is considered threatened by logging and mining operations. Kimsey said there are now plans for an open pit nickel mine on the mountain.

“There’s talk of forming a biosphere reserve to preserve this,” she said. “There are so many rare and endangered species on Sulawesi that the world may never see.”

“I consider Sulawesi one of the world’s top three islands for biodiversity — that along with Australia and Madagascar,” Kimsey said.

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