Indonesia & Bali Tourism New

GHM’s legendary Bali resort, The Legian, wins prestigious Wine Spectator Award of Excellence for second consecutive year.

The Restaurant at The Legian has been awarded a 2009 Award of Excellence by Wine Spectator magazine for its selection of 185 fine international wines, with a particular focus on the vineyards of Australia and France. This is the second consecutive year that The Restaurant has won this award. (more…)

Jero Wacik, Indonesia’s Minister for Tourism and Culture, says that he hopes to hold the country’s International Tourist and Travel Fair (ITTF) at the beginning of October. “The ITTF would be an annual program aimed at promoting Indonesian tourism to international community,” he said.

Ben Sukma, chairman of the organizing committee, announced that at least 260 exhibitors had committed to the fair. Mr. Sukma said that last year buyers helped to raise more than $20 million at the ITTF. (more…)

I Wayan Juniartha , The Jakarta Post , Denpasar

A diverse picture of contemporary Bali emerged last week when seven young photojournalists took a brief break from their duties for local and international news outlets to participate in a weeklong workshop.

The workshop, organized by the local chapter of the Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI), aimed to improve the local photojournalists’ skills and knowledge. (more…)

DENPASAR, Aug 27 (Bernama) — The number of tourists from the Middle East to Bali has been increasing lately, and therefore the number of tourist guides to serve them also need to be increased especially those well-versed in matters relating to Islam, Antara news agency reported Thursday.

Many tourists from countries in the Middle East, including Saudi Arabia, Oman, Kuwait, Bahrain, Lebanon, and Syria, have come to the island paradise in increasing flocks, a tourist guide of Bali Made Kawiana said here Thursday. (more…)

Aditya Suharmoko , The Jakarta Post , Jakarta

Indonesia plans to introduce a “tax refund” scheme for foreign tourists shopping here as early as next year, as stipulated under the amendment of the existing law on value-added tax and luxury tax, the House of Representatives says.

The government and House have agreed to approve the tax refund scheme in a bid to attract more tourists to come shopping here, which would eventually help increase the country’s foreign exchange income, Vera Febyanthy, head of the House’s working committee on the law amendment, said Tuesday. (more…)

JAKARTA, Indonesia, Aug. 25 /PRNewswire/ — In line with the Republic of Indonesian independence 64th anniversary, Indonesia has successfully held the Sail Bunaken 2009.

This event was also followed by fleet review participants from 33 countries, 158 yachts rally, the coming up of two mass diving world record which was recorded in the Guinness Book of Record, and the symposium on waters territory control in South East Asia and the IUU Fishing control. (more…)

Indonesian tourism players are being facilitated to participate in a Malaysian tour and travel promotion event called Matta Fair 2009 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, from September 4 to 6, 2009.

“We are facilitating tourism players to participate in Matta Fair 2009,” said I Gde Pitana, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism international promotion director, said here, reports Antara news agency. (more…)

Many tourists from around the globe come to visit the water off Manado in North Sulawesi. Not only does the area boast a comfortable tropical climate, stunning beaches and welcoming residents, its Sail Bunaken marine festival, which took place from Aug. 12 to 20 in Manado, North Sulawesi, has also been a magnet for travelers. (more…)

Kupang, E Nusa Tenggara (ANTARA News) - The local legislative assembly has thrown its weight behind a call for the forestry ministry to reconsider a plan to relocate 10 komodo dragons from their habitat to a Bali safari park for genetic purification.

“The genetic purification should constantly be conducted in Komodo Island which serves as the habitat of the prehistoric animal species. I fear the komodo dragons will not breed in other location than their habitat,” Chief of East Nusa Tenggara Legislative Assembly (DPRD) Melkianus Adoe said here on Thursday. (more…)

DENPASAR: The Indonesian version of the fifth poetry anthology from German poet Hans Magnus Enzenberger was launched over the weekend by Bali’s state-owned radio station, RRI Bali.

The book’s translators, Berthold Damshauser of Germany and Agus S. Sarjono of Indonesia, attended the launching ceremony last Saturday in Denpasar. (more…)