“They do not pay attention of the trees they planted survive or die”, he told reporters on Friday (July 3rd). Similar expression was also voiced by the Deputy Regent of Bangli, I Made Gianyar in recent interveiw.

Adnyana thinks that other regency of Bali took the situation in Bogor, West Java, as a pattern. Jakarta appreciates important role of Bogor in water reservation provide significant budget to compensate Bogor to maintain forest in under their authority. Unfirtunately Bangli’s expectation to be in similar situation as Bogor remains as a dream. So far there has been no single effort in this respect. Nothing more than talks saying that Bangli is the water reservoir of Bali.

“Do not blame Bangli if some day forest in Kintamani which is considered as Bali’s water reservoir completely devastated. In fact illegal deforestation keeps going on at the moment”, he said.

Vice Chairman of the House of Representatives (DPRD) Bangli, I Made Adnyana reminded people to not blame Bangli for damages of forest in Kintamani. Whilst many groups has paid their attention to replant the forest, planting alone and then walk away is just not enough.

“They do not pay attention of the trees they planted survive or die”, he told reporters on Friday (July 3rd). Similar expression was also voiced by the Deputy Regent of Bangli, I Made Gianyar in recent interveiw.

Adnyana thinks that other regency of Bali took the situation in Bogor, West Java, as a pattern. Jakarta appreciates important role of Bogor in water reservation provide significant budget to compensate Bogor to maintain forest in under their authority. Unfirtunately Bangli’s expectation to be in similar situation as Bogor remains as a dream. So far there has been no single effort in this respect. Nothing more than talks saying that Bangli is the water reservoir of Bali.

“Do not blame Bangli if some day forest in Kintamani which is considered as Bali’s water reservoir completely devastated. In fact illegal deforestation keeps going on at the moment”, he said.

Officials allocated for forest protection is very limited in number, not enough for effective protection, especially as forest coverage in Kintamani is very wide. “I hope the new regulation which is being drafted will give a better attention to Bangli as a water reservation area”, he said. To inherit water sufficiency to the following generations, significant funding is neded to maintain the forest as well as people’s will to protect the forest for their own interest.

“I hope the new regulation which is being drafted will give a better attention to Bangli as a water reservation area”, he said. To inherit water sufficiency to the following generations, significant funding is neded to maintain the forest as well as people’s will to protect the forest for their own interest.

Visit Lombok - Sumbawa 2012 will be officially declared by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono whicn will be accompanied with various supporting events such as planting pearl seeds and 5th International Ecotourism Business Forum which will bring 25 sellers from across the country to meet 20 buyers from 11 countries including UK, Germany, UAE, Thailand, Singapore, Korea, India, Hong Kong, France, Japan, and Indonesia.

Governor Majdi said that as a province rich of marine resources and beautiful beaches, the leading products which will be offered is eco-tourism including pearl farming and marine adventures in addition to culture, art, and traditional handicraft such as pottery and hand woven fabrics. “We have 15 point of interests both on the beach and the hillside”, he added.

Furthermore he expressed his confidence that Visit Lombok - Sumbawa program can generate more foreign and domestic tourists and increase popularity of the two inslands as preferable holiday destinations. “The impact we expect is getting Lombok a well known destination after Bali. In another way, after Bali, Lombok there will be Lombok which is ready to welcome tourist visits”, he said.

As a holiday destination Lombok has all people may want, scattering from the soaring mountain into deep at the bottom of the sea. Lombok is very well prepared to welcome tourists. The govenrment keeps in pushing their efforts to increase service quality as well as facilities. Various accommodation facilities are avalable, from homestay to five star hotels, event Lombok villas. International airport is underway and will be ready for inauguration soon.

The Director General of Tourism Marketing, Sapta Nirwandar, said that pearl farming will become the icon of Lombok tourism. Therfore systematic promotion is needed, started by Visit Lombok - Sumbawa 2012. “In the future Lombok will become the center for production and sales of the finest pearls in the world, it will beat Japan and Spain”, he said. At the end the program is expected to bring more tourist in. Statistic recorded visits of 450,000 tourists in 2008, and the government targets 530,000 in 2009.

Spokesman of the airport authority Muhammad Dimyati said that right after first infection announced, tourist arrivals even show increasing trend. Daily arrivals between June 5th and June 7th recorded 6,467, 6,919, and 7,113 consecutively. “We do not make any conclusions yet. However we do not see negative impact of confirmed H1N1 infection yet”, he said.

Secretary General of Indonesian Hotel and Restaurant Association (PHRI) Bali Chapter, Perry Markus informed that confirmed H1N1 infection hs not affect hotel occupancy yet. Survey even revealed that hotel occupancy in all sectors in Bali increased compare to similar period of last year. “We have not received any cancellation report from our members. Our last survey even show that hotel occupancy rate in all sectors of Bali increased compared the the same period of last year. We have checked that there are no cancellations for period between August and September 2009. So for the time being we can confirm that hotel occupancy rate in Bali remains stable. We do hope that this conducive situation sustains”, Perry said.

Framed in Kuta on Tuesday, June 30th, hundreds of foreign tourists mixed themselves with domestic tourists to enjoy their holiday. No signs of hesitation in doing their activities such as sun bathing, surfing, and playing volley ball.

Head of Mining and Energy Department of DCK, Putu Piarka, said that Chloride and NaCl containment in both wells operated by Waterbom was below tollerable level. Chlor containment recorded at 0.01mg per liter also classified as safe. It means there were no leakages in water processing system operated by Waterbom. No penalty to be imposed that there was no environmental contamination found.

Wiarka explained that other than Waterbom, samples were taken from wells operated by Adi Jaya Hotel, Pandawa Hotel, Kartika Plaza, and Bunut Garden. Among all samples wells operated by Adi Jaya Hotel was the shallowest as well as the worst in quality.

With regard to poor quality, Wiarka explained that it was resulted by alluvial structure formed by sea water sedimentation. Technically wells in Kuta were sensitive to salt water infiltration. For that reason, Kuta was classified as an area where wells were not allowed. “Unfortunately with rapid growth of tourism development whilst government operated fresh water supplier was not able to cover existing needs, we were compelled to allow them”, he explained.

With regard to exploitation exceeding allowed quota, Wiarka said that DCK will conduct close monitoring. Waterbom was also directed to decrease water exploitation by continuously monitoring availability of under-surface water in the area in the coming months. Waterbom was also instructed to submit valid report about water containment regularly.

If in the future it was found that wells operated by Waterbom creates negative impact to quality of under-surface water, their wells have to be closed. “They have to make new wells by following regulations”, he said.

Illegal Bali villas have also swept aside tourism management concept based on home stay which brings direct bebefits for people. People-based tourism concept is getting farther away as the government of regencies and cities seem to let those illegal villas transform themselves into tourist accommodation. The situation appearsed at its worst in one of tourism barometers in Bali, Badung and Gianyar.

He believes that the tourist accommodation management has shifted away from people’s houses. Mushrooming villas everywhere have swept local Balinese aside in competition to get a income from tourism. To improve the situation he suggested to immediately conduct mapping of tourism supporting zones by exposing surrounding villages.

Kandia reminded Bali not to get trapped in dreams of collecting investment. Clear bargaining against investors was needed fot environmental protection. Kandia who also sit in the executive committee of World Tour Guide Federation thought that there are a lot of things which needed reconsideration to keep Bali as the nation’s tourism barometer. In the future, Bali has to strictrly protect its environment as its main strength.

Environment-based tourism should not be translated into constructing tourism macilities on the cliff top, water preservation areas, lakes, or liver stream buffers. Eco tourism means tourism development which sustains natural functions to promote harmonious relationship between tourism development and the nature.

Opening ceremony was attended by the Head of Development Center of Tourism Human Resources, Hamdan Rifai, representative from Bali Tourism Office Putu Sudiartha, Chairman of BTB Bagus Ngurah Wijaya, and a number of other invitees.

Hamdan Rifai in his opening speech said that competition among tourism destinations is not only related to infrastructure and instruments but more importantly to human resources. All destinations are now racing for improvement quality of their human resources for the sake of service excellence. Indonesia, especially Bali has to set its pace in the race of quality improvements. Indonesia has signed Mutual Recogition Arrangement (MRA) among ASEAN coutries which will be implemented starting from 2010, when mutually acceptable standard certification becomes essential.

“Improvement of competence in tourism industry at a certain standard with international certification will become a must, otherwise our tourism human resource will swept aside in our own home”, he said.

Deputy of BTB Chairman for human resources development, Noman Suwidjana, said that so far technical skill is the main weakness of Bali tourism human resources, whilst friendliness remains the strength. “We can not leave it as it is any longer. Sound technical competence is a must to achieve sound service excellence”, he said.

Workshop and coaching on service excelence which will be closed on Saturday, June 27th, presentes a number of resource persons with international reputation.

Coordinator of Monitoring Commission on Certification Program of Tourism Professional Certification Institute (LSPP), I Gede Widjana exposed various problems behind slow execution of the certification program. Among those problems are lack of socialization and lack of response form both the employers and the employees themselves which tend to consider cortification as low priority.

Widjana stressed the imprtance of certification as a standard measure of knowledge, skill, and behavior of a worker, which in global marketplace should have internatinal recognition. “In many ocassons tourism industry feels that they are able to work in professional and therefore certification is no longer needed”, he said.

As one of Asean countries, Indonesia has signed Mutual Recognition Arrangement (MRA) which requires standard certification acceptable in all Asean members, in this respect competence backed up by international qualification certificate is essential.

To improve implementation of certification program LSPP has established cooperation with tourism education institutes in Bali, where tutors of the institutes will serve as assessors. At the moment there are at least 120 assesors in Bali. “We are expecting more assessors especially in managerial level so it can be spreaded down within their department”, he said.

Meanwhile Chairman of Bali Tourism Board (BTB), Ida Bagus Ngurah Wijaya, said that his organization has been continuously socialize professional certification in tourism industry through its 9 stakeholders. “Human resource development is one of three main focuses of BTB. In this context, BTB routinely conducts training programs including certification. We have engaged MoUs with related institutions”, he explained.

Ceritication applies to operators such as hotes, tour, guides, and event organizers, mediators such as travel agents, reservation outlets, management of tourism objects, as well as regulators.

Like Bali Arts Festival (PKB) of previous years, the event was started by a parade involving all participants including delegates from every regencies and cities of Bali as well as those from other Indonesian provinces and other countries.

In his speech President Yudhoyono said that art and culture are part of nation’s identity, and PKB which has been held for the 31st time expressed Balinese will to sustain it and therefore deserved appreciation. “Honelstly, from one year to another, we have been witnessing various attraction here which have always impressed me. I am impressed by the magnitude of Balinese cultural arts including continuously improved creativity. Every year I saw different scene, different creativity, and different moral and spiritual messages. It is absolutely impressive and well worth to be proud of”, he said.

President Yudhoyono further expected PKB to play its role to strengthen Bali’s position as a center of tourism, center of culture, center of creativity, and bridge among different community across the globe. He underlined the fact that Bali was not only the pride of Balinese alone but also Indonesian. Bali was also adored by the whole world. Being the center of tourism activity attracting interest from the whole world, President Yudhoyono admitted that he had a significant hope on Bali to continue serving the leader and the center of tourism and creative economy, including the economy of Indonesian cultural products.

President Yudhoyono expressed is enthusiasim with the title of PKB this year “mulat sarire” which lierally meant return to identity for the glory of the nation and country. He believed that the theme held strong relevancy down to the root whilst expressed wide perspective related to values, cultural heritages, and nation’s humanity.  Through the theme he expected to bring up views from two different perspective related to Indonesian national identity.

The first perspective related to official vision towards national identity. Indonesia had an identity as a nation with four basic consensuses to be fully implemented in daily life namely national ideology, constitution, natonal unity, and the concept of unity in diversity. Second perspective was history leading the nation into the way it appeared at the present time including heritages, ways of life, religions, culture, and a lot more, reflecting vast diversity requiring thorough understanding and acceptance.

Confirmation on President’s presence was announced by the secretary of the organizing committee, Made Santha, on Thursday (June 11th). “After an official speech the President will open the festival by ‘nepak kulkul’. Following official opening the President, VIP invitees, and general public will enjoy presetation of Mahabrata drama-dance titled Bima Siwaga”, Santha explained.

Different from the opening ceremony in the previous years when President or other high ranking officials in charge open the festival prior to cultural parede, this year President will open the festival at the festival venue, Bali Art Center.

The parade which is scheduled to take place on Saturday (June 13th), prior to official opening, will be officially launched by Bali Governor, also in a traditional ritual of twisting cakra in a stage located in front of Banjar Kayumanis Kaja. Parade will take a straight route along Jalan Surapati and Jalan Hayam Wuruk, and will finish at Banjar Bengkel.

Instead of only in front of the stage like the previous years, people can will enjoy performance of parade participants along the way. Line op has been set. First participant to start will be Siwa Nataraja dance by Indonesian Art Institute along with traditional drumb band Adi Merdangga. Behind them will be Jembrana, Karangasem, Buleleng, SOEI TV Japan, East Lampung, Denpasar, Tabanan, marching band of Udayana Univerity, Central Lombok, Badung, Bangli, West Kalimantan, East Java, Klungkung, and Gianyar.

Three stages have been erected in front of Banjar Kayumanis Kaja, Banjar Kelandis, and Banjar Kedaton.

Atim delivered 40 statues to Bali every month, of out which 50% were forwarded to Europe. Most popular were statue of Buddha and different sorts of godess. Almost all exported products were on those two forms. He was certain that most Europeans like Buddha in meditation pose.

Popular material was white stone brought in from Yogyakarta. Material supply was easy. Producer could get as much material delivered as they need at anytime. Easy to carve and popular as holly stone for its glossy white color, white stone was also free from moss.

Priced at between 2 to 8 million per piece depend on size and level of difficulty, a statue took about a week to complete. Atim employed 7 carvers at his studio. Interestingly Atim admitted that he was not making a lot of money out of his business. His main objective was to spread talent and wealth to the youth in his village, his very reason behind his relocation from Gianyar, Bali, to Kalipuro, Banyuwangi. “Obviously it is riskier to have the production in Banyuwangi. In addition to higher cost, transport risk is also quite high”, he explained.

Whilst he was enjoying 20-40 orders a month, he was unhappy with the fact that he could not sell his product directy to Europe. “We could not sell our product directly to Europe, we are dependant to  buying agents in Bali”, he said.