Tag: bali

  • AirAsia announces flights from Manila to Bali, Jakarta

    AirAsia announces flights from Manila to Bali, Jakarta

    Budget carrier AirAsia on Thursday announced it will start servicing flights from Manila to Bali and Jakarta in Indonesia starting January 2018.

    In a statement, AirAsia Philippines said it will start flying from Manila to Jakarta, Indonesia starting January 9, and to Bali, Indonesia starting January 19.

    Daily flights from Manila to Bali will have a departure time of 6:40 p.m., and an arrival time of 10:25 p.m. Flights back to the Philippines leave Bali at 11:20 p.m.

    Meanwhile, flights from Manila to Jakarta will have a departure time of 8:00 a.m, and an arrival time of 11:00 a.m. Flights back to the Philippines leave Jakarta at 11:30 a.m.

    In the same statement, AirAsia said it will also start flying to Ho Chi Minh in Vietnam starting November 17.

    Flights from Manila to Ho Chi Minh will have a departure time of 10:25 p.m. every Tuesday, Friday, and Sunday. Flights back to Manila leave Ho Chi Minh at 1:35 a.m. every Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.

    With the new routes, AirAsia also on Thursday announced all-in promo fares available from P2,950 available until October 22, with a travel period from November 17, 2017 to April 30, 2018.

  • AirAsia now connects Bali and Kolkata

    AirAsia now connects Bali and Kolkata

    AirAsia Indonesia inaugurated its new flight route from Bali to Kolkata in India on Oct. 4.

    The service offers four flights a day departing from I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport in Bali and arrives at Kolkata’s Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose.

    Upon landing, the maiden flight, which used an Airbus A320-200 airplane, was greeted with a water canon at the airport in Bali.

    According to AirAsia Group CEO for Indonesia Dendy Kurniawan, the ticket sales for this route was first made available on Aug. 17 in accordance to the 72nd anniversary celebration of Indonesia’s Independence Day.

    “We want to emphasize that this expansion is only possible due to the hard work of the Transportation Ministry. We are currently in the first category of the FAA safety rank and we really appreciate it,” said Dendy.

    Following the launch of the new service, AirAsia now offers two routes to India as it previously launched Bali – Mumbai flight in May.

    This also marks the fourth international route from AirAsia Indonesia after Bali – Narita, Bali – Mumbai and Jakarta – Macau.

    The travel time between Bali from Kolkata is 7.5 hours including a short transit in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

    India has the second highest growth percentage for the number of tourists to Indonesia with 27 percent per year, right behind China with 45 percent per year.

  • Indonesia focuses on attracting more Asia-Pacific tourists

    Indonesia focuses on attracting more Asia-Pacific tourists

    Indonesia is currently channeling its efforts to attract foreign tourists from Asia-Pacific countries. Deputy for Foreign Tourism Marketing Development of the Ministry of Tourism I Gde Pitana noted in a written statement in Jakarta on Friday that his office is focusing its foreign tourism marketing program this year on markets in the Asia-Pacific region.

    “Targeted countries include China, Australia, Japan, South Korea, India, and other markets,” he revealed.

    Several promotional initiatives have been prepared, for instance, by undertaking more activities in the form of exhibitions and sales missions.

    Pitana stated that from January to December 2017, his office has prepared 54 activities in the form of 30 exhibitions and 24 sales missions.

    Festivals will be promoted through 30 activities and familiarization trips of 51 activities.

    Meanwhile, promotional activities implemented in the Asia-Pacific markets until July 2017 include participation in the Incentive Travel Convention Meeting in China, Hanatour International Travel Show, International Travel Expo in Hong Kong, and ADEX Australia.

    Furthermore, in the second semester of 2017, Indonesia will participate in several important events, such as the PATA Travel Mart, JATA Tourism Expo, China International Travel Mart, and MATTA Fair.

    “The same activities were also held in the European, Middle East, American, and African markets to exploit their potential,” Pitana noted.

    It will participate in nine exhibition events, with one each in July, August, and September; as well as two exhibitions in October; and four in November 2017.

    Among the international exhibition events is the largest exhibition WTM London and World Halal Tourism Summit.

    Pitana expects to see an increase in participation and synergy among the local government, tourism business players, and other tourism stakeholders to support the international tourism marketing program in 2018.

    “Several activities involving collaboration with the local governments include with the Aceh government for the MATTA Fair and ITB in Berlin and with the Yogyakarta provincial government in the Vietnam Travel Mart. We hope that participation and synergy between the central and local governments would strengthen cooperation with associations and other elements, such as the media, academia, and community, in 2018 ” Pitana added.

  • STI to expand 4G services to Bali

    STI to expand 4G services to Bali

    Sampoerna Telekomunikasi Indonesia (STI) has announced plans to expand its Net1 Indonesia branded LTE services to the island of Bali.

    The operator’s 450-MHz LTE service will be deployed to all areas of Bali ranging from Gilimanuk on the west to the eastern end in Gili Selang, the operator announced. STI is targeting rural areas before entering urban areas.

    “Bali is one of the provinces on Indonesia that support the nation’s economy through its tourism industry, STI CEO Larry Ridwan said.

    “Over time, the tourism industry is not only talking about traveling or merely to market travel destinations, but also to provide growth for supporting industries, especially in remote parts of Bali island. That is why we have a strong commitment to support local economy of Bali through the provision of reliable telecommunication access.”

    STI is in the process of migrating its CDMA subscribers to its 4G network and plans to complete the migration by the end of the year.

    STI is Indonesia’s only operator to have deployed in the 450-MHz band using CDMA2000 1x technology. The operator holds a nationwide license and has so far deployed coverage on the islands of Sumatra, Java, Kalimantan, Sulawesi, Bali, Nusa Tenggara Barat, and Maluku.

    As part of its 4G migration, STI recently entered a partnership with telecoms vendor PT INTI to jointly produce devices supporting the 450-MHz spectrum.

  • 60,000 Tourists Visit Bali by Cruise Ship

    60,000 Tourists Visit Bali by Cruise Ship

    A luxury cruise ship line Princess Cruises will bring more than 60,000 foreign tourists to experience the natural charm and culture of Indonesia.

    During the 2017-2018 holiday season, Princess Cruises will offer exciting travel plans to Bali, Lombok, Komodo Island, Makassar, Semarang, and Probolinggo. Bali is a favorite destination out of the 20 total destinations.

    “Princess Cruises continues to enhance tourism in Indonesia by dedicating five cruise ships that will have 26 trips to Indonesia.”

    The five cruise ships that have trips to Indonesia are Sapphire Princess, Diamond Princess, Golden Princess, Sun Princess, and Sea Princess.

    According to data from the Cruise Line INternational Assistance Association (CLIA), more than 2 million people were on the Continent of Asia cruise in 2015. This number is expected to double to 4 million by 2020.

    In 2014, CLIA also noted there were more than 18,000 yacht tourists coming from Indonesia, and that number doubled to 40,000 by 2015.

  • Trump Takes On Tanah Lot

    Trump Takes On Tanah Lot

    Property mogul turned President of the United States Donald Trump has a lot on his plate, but that hasn’t stopped him from setting his sights on a six-star resort development in the Tabanan Regency of Bali.

    Much like the man himself, the development remains controversial. What impact will the resort have on tourism to the island and will the unrest among the local community threaten its success?

    Specifics of the resort, such as how large it will be and how many jobs it will offer the local community, are still yet to be released which has caused some concern in the regency. The land on which the resort is planned was forcibly taken, according to reports of locals, during the Suharto era and eventually developed into the five-star Pan Pacific Nirwana Bali Resort. The plans for redevelopment are believed to include expansion of the 18-hole golf course.

    Construction of the Trump International Hotel and Tower Bali, in conjunction with local magnate MNC Group founder and expected future politician Hary Tanoesoedibjo, is expected to begin in early 2018 after years of deliberation.

    The project in Bali is one of two – the other slated for West Java, which is tipped to feature a theme park. The West Java project is also causing concern, particularly among environmental activists who fear the Gunung Gede Pangrango national park development will threaten many endemic animals and fauna, according to a report from the Associated Press earlier in the year.

    Like many Trump properties around the world, the resort will be managed and maintained by a firm, in this case the MNC Group, which has leased rights to the Trump brand.

    The news has upset many in the local community who are concerned with the resort’s proximity to 16th-century Hindu temple Tanah Lot temple – one of the resort’s major attractions.

    “I would strongly recommend against any new developments that impact the temple. These things are sensitive in Bali,” I Gusti Ngurah Sudiana, local head of the country’s peak Hindu group Parisada Hindu Dharma Indonesia, told Bloomberg.

    “The Balinese don’t tend to speak up, but these things related to the sacredness of the temple are very sensitive, only the enforcement is too weak.’’

    Indonesia Investments too noted concern in a January report: “according to local beliefs land nearby temples cannot be used for the purpose of leisure (such as a golf course). On the eastern side of the existing golf course there stands a small temple and therefore local people do not want to see an upgraded (expanded) golf course.”

    “Rumours have spread across the island over further forced land sales and the potential of Tanah Lot to be all but obscured by the hotel.”

    Rumours have spread across the island over further forced land sales and the potential of Tanah Lot to be all but obscured by the hotel. At this stage, a lack of details or open consultation from the government is doing little to smooth anxieties.

    A recent Four Corners programme, a long-running television documentary series produced by the Australian state news agency ABC, investigating the development as well as the business ties between Trump and Tanoesoedibjo and featuring a segment in which Tabanan regent Eka Wiryastuti dodged questioning has become emblematic of the difficulties in obtaining straight answers.

    “If anything’s been approved, it’s been done very privately and very quietly,” Mark Davis of Four Corners says during the programme.

    Bali remains a favourite among tourists because of the island’s ability to balance dream beach resort holidays and strong cultural experiences. A development which threatens that balance could threaten the unique drawcard Bali offers the world.

    But, obscured details aside, does Bali need a big name attraction like Trump?

    Maybe not, data from the National Statistics Bureau (BPS) suggests, with overall foreign tourist arrivals growing rapidly year on year. Over 4.2 million foreigners visited Indonesia between January and May this year, a 20.38 percent increase on the same period a year earlier.

    Of that number, 2.3 million touched down at Bali’s Ngurah Rai International Airport. This represents an increase of 23.66 percent from the 1.86 foreign visitors a year earlier. Bali is on track to reach the 5.5 million foreign tourists target, around a 30 percent increase from 2016.

    But the Trump brand may need a sure-fire hit like the iconic South Bali cliff face locale. With resorts, hotels and casinos around the world carrying the Trump name taking a financial hit as his presidency continues to garner controversy, a well-located luxury resort amid an ever-growing tourist base could buck that trend.

  • Indonesian embassy promotes Balinese culinary in Beijing

    Indonesian embassy promotes Balinese culinary in Beijing

    The Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia in Beijing and Hotel Conrad has promoted Balinese cuisine to the guests staying at one of the five star hotels in the capital city of China from July 6 to 16, 2017.

    “This is the second event this year,” Indonesian Ambassador to China, Soegeng Rahardjo, stated in a press statement received by Antara here on Friday.

    To support the event titled A Taste of Indonesia, Conrad Beijing presented three chefs from Bali, namely I Made Semawan, Agus Feritude, and Agus Surya.

    They serve Balinese dishes of chicken, pork, fried rice, and satay, which tasted exactly the same as the ones found in the island.

    “With the growing recognition of Indonesias tradition, culinary taste, and beauty, it is expected that the number of foreign tourists visiting Indonesia will continue to increase,” the ambassador stated.

    The Embassy will continue to hold such culinary promotional events by involving several star hotels.

    Earlier, a similar event was also held by the Embassy in cooperation with Westin Beijing in mid-March.

    This year, the Ministry of Tourism expects 2.5 million tourists from China.

    In previous year, tourists from mainland China visiting Indonesia reached 1.5 million people. They still see Bali as a major tourist destination in the country.

    Garuda Indonesia has provided direct flights to Denpasar from Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Chengdu. Several Chinese airlines also provide direct flights to Denpasar.

  • Over 1 million passengers travel through Bali airport

    Over 1 million passengers travel through Bali airport

    State-owned airport operator PT Angkasa I said that over 1 million passengers have traveled through Balis Ngurah Rai International Airport during the homecoming flow of post-fasting travelers since 10 days (D-10) before the Lebaran D-Day to D+4.

    Head of Public Relations of PT Angkasa Pura I at I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport, Arie Ahsanurrohim, stated in Denpasar on Saturday that the passengers recorded during the period were those for domestic and international routes.

    Arie added that the movement of passengers was calculated based on regular and unscheduled flights.

    He explained that the unscheduled flights were the ones used by former US president Barack Obama and Malaysian Prime Minister and family when they visited during the Lebaran holiday season.

    Meanwhile, related to the flow of Lebaran homecoming, Arie explained that the movement at the local airport was quite unique compared to other airports in Indonesia, which are mostly dominated by the flow of departing passengers.

    At Ngurah Rai Airport, the flow of departure and the arrival of passengers were high or only slightly different, considering Bali as a tourist destination where many tourists spend the long Lebaran holidays.

    Data from Integrated Monitoring Lebaran Command Post at the airport mentioned on H+4 or on Friday (June 30) that the number of domestic passenger arrivals reached 19,174 people, up 10.6 percent compared to the same period in 2016.

    Passengers departing from the airport reached 21,573 people, or jumped 14 percent compared to the same period in the previous year.

    The number of those arriving and departing through the international routes increased with arrivals recorded at 16.3 thousand, or up by 16 percent, and departure at 17.7 thousand, or up by 14 percent.

  • Bali Travel Bureaus optimistic of Obama`s vacation boosting tourism

    Bali Travel Bureaus optimistic of Obama`s vacation boosting tourism

    The Indonesian Tourism Travel Bureau Association (Asita) has expressed hope that the visit of former US president Barack Obama to Bali would help attract foreign tourists to the island.

    “We hope the number of tourists from the US to Bali would increase,” Balis Asita Chairman Ketut Ardana stated here, Tuesday.

    The visits of world leaders to Bali help to promote Bali internationally since they are covered by the media, he said.

    Their visits to Bali will also draw other leaders to visit Bali for a vacation, he added.

    Tourists from the US usually stay for more than a week in Bali, and they prefer five-star hotels, he remarked.

    The number of US tourists to Bali had reached 64,042 during the January-April period, or an increase of 19.7 percent from that recorded during the same period last year.

    The US stands sixth among the list of 10 countries contributing the largest number of foreign tourists to Bali. From January to April 2017, a total of 1,817,772 foreign tourists had visited Bali.

    A total of 511 thousand tourists from China had visited Bali during the period between January and April, followed by 353 thousand from Australia, and 74 thousand from Japan.

  • AirAsia to start flights to South East Asia from next year

    AirAsia to start flights to South East Asia from next year

    Singapore or Bali should now be even cheaper to fly, with AirAsia India spreading its wings to the Asean. The carrier announced that it will launch its international operations by providing connectivity to Southeast Asia from next year. Vistara, too, plans to fly international next year.

    “We have kind of cracked the Indian market. We will make money in the next six months. We are only three years old in India. We are happy with the way we are going. We will be a good mix between dom estic and international, which we are planning to go next year,” AirAsia Group CEO Tony Fernandes said on the sidelines of the Paris Airshow.

    He added that AirAsia India would be focusing on launching connectivity between Asean nations as it starts international operations. Asean members include Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Brunei, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, and Vietnam.

    AirAsia (India) Ltd is a JV between Tata Sons & AirAsia, with AirAsia and Tata Sons Ltd holding 49 per cent each and S Ramadorai (chairman) and R Venkataramanan, two directors of the company in their individual capacity, holding 0.5 per cent and 1.5 per cent, respectively.

  • Over two million Chinese tourists to visit Indonesia in 2017

    Over two million Chinese tourists to visit Indonesia in 2017

    The number of Chinese tourists visiting Indonesia is estimated to reach more than 2 million tourists in 2017, an official said. Charge d’Affaires of the Embassy of the Peoples Republic of China in Jakarta Sun Weide said here on Tuesday that the tourism cooperation between Indonesia and China continues to grow.

    The Chinese Embassy has recorded around 560,000 Chinese tourists to have visited Indonesia during the first three months of this year.

    “The number of Chinese tourists visiting Indonesia is estimated to reach more than two million this year,” Sun Weide said in a press conference followed by an iftar at the Chinese Embassy in Jakarta.

    Last year, 1.45 million Chinese tourists had visited Indonesia. The number was the second largest after Singapores with 1,47 million tourists.

    It is estimated that the visiting Chinese tourists had contributed around two billion US dollars of foreign exchange to Indonesia last year, he said.

    Cooperation in the tourism sector between Indonesia and China has been robust, he said.

    On the same day, delegation from Guizhou Province of China held a conference to promote its tourism potential in Jakarta.

    Ren Xiang Sheng, Guizhou Provincial Secretary in southwestern China, said the increased cooperation in the fields of tourism and culture has become part of efforts to strengthen Chinas One Belt and One Road (Obor) initiative.

    In 2016, more than one million tourists had visited Guizhou, a region dotted with picturesque mountain in China. Out of one million visiting tourists, 128,000 were Indonesians.

    Indonesian Ministry of Tourism has estimated that the number of Chinese tourists visiting Indonesia will reach 2.4 million in 2017, surpassing Singaporeans who were estimated to top around 2.275 million in the same year.

    Achieving its 12 million tourist visit target in 2016, Indonesia has set a target to attract 15 million tourist in 2017.

  • Air Asia X‘s Direct Flights from Bali Reduce Passengers Going through KL

    Air Asia X‘s Direct Flights from Bali Reduce Passengers Going through KL

    he number of tourists from China and India has seen huge improvements after e-visa services were made available, said Tourism Malaysia chairman Datuk Dr Siew Ka Wei.

    According to Siew in a statement, between March 2016 and April 2017, total of 284,606 and 323,173 Chinese tourists have applied for e-visa (electronic visa) and eNTRI (Electronic Travel Registration and Information), respectively. As for India, its tourists’ visas application also shot up by 91.1 per cent from 36,442 approved in March to 69,635 visas approved in April.

    “Following the green light from Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak to approve e-visa applications for multiple entries, the Home Affairs Ministry is working on the final details of the two-week multiple entry visa-free visit to Malaysia, which will boost this number even further.

    “In addition, they are also allowed to transit in Malaysia without a visa, on specific terms and conditions. “This improved facility is expected to help attract larger numbers of tourists from China and India to Malaysia who are looking for a holiday experience that offers diversity at an affordable price,” he said.

    He added that Chinese and Indian nationals can now apply for e-visa, eNTRI or VOA (Visa on Arrival), depending on the purpose of their visit to Malaysia. “These improvements have come at an opportune time to encourage more Chinese and Indian tourists to visit Malaysia.

    “Considering that visa arrangements are critical for the convenience of travellers, these facilities are expected to ease travel preparations, especially since it has the following features, namely online application system, faster processing time and reasonable fees,” he added.

    Meanwhile, Malaysian Association of Tours and Travel Agents (Matta) Inbound and Domestic vice president Datuk KL Tan said the number of tourists from China and India saw a drop lately due to aggressive promotions from neighbouring countries such as Indonesia, Thailand and Singapore.

    “These countries have increased their promotions and are targeting the Chinese and Indian tourists. “Indian tourists have dropped significantly as more countries such as Indonesia had extended free visa on arrival to Indian nationals. Thailand too had extended a similar policy until end of this year.

    “Their airlines have started to fly direct. Air Asia X Indonesia started direct flights from Bali to Mumbai and Bali to Kochi. These have reduced chances of passengers going through Kuala Lumpur,” said Tan.

    Tan added that most country’s tourist market have dropped especially in the ASEAN region.“Foreign tourists’ arrival such as those from Singapore, Thailand, Brunei and Indonesia has seen a decrease.“But for long haul markets, we are quite dependent on Chinese tourists.”

    He however applauded the improvements made by the government saying that an increase of visitors from any country is always good. “But India visitors dropped 35.1 per cent during the first quarter in 2017 compared to 11.6 per cent for whole of last year.

    “The visa fee is slightly on the high side. We would like to see for the government’s review on the visa fees, especially for India. “If everything goes right, we could get six million Chinese visitors and 1.5 million from India by 2020. Growth from the nine ASEAN nations will be steady, rising to 23.5 million by 2020 and the rest of the world, five million,” Tan said.

  • AirAsia to launch Bali-Mumbai route

    AirAsia to launch Bali-Mumbai route

    AirAsia is launching a new route connecting Bali and Indian metropolis, Mumbai.

    The AirAsia X Indonesia service will kick off on May 19, operating seven times per week, using an Airbus A330-300 with 377 seats, 12 of which will be flatbed. Flights are already available for booking. 

    The route won’t be direct—there will be a stopover in KL, AirAsia’s hub, for 65 minutes.

    Dendy Kurniawan, AirAsia Group Chief Executive Officer (CEO) for Indonesia operations, says the Mumbai flight was added in response to an increasing demand amongst Indian tourists to holiday in Bali.

    The Indian and Chinese markets are two of the fastest growing, after all.

    The Mumbai service won’t be AirAsia’s only new route out of Indonesia. AirAsia Indonesia is also opening up a Jakarta to Macau flight starting August 7 later this year, beginning with three scheduled flights per week.

  • Growing flight frequency of Mideast airlines to benefit Bali tourism

    Growing flight frequency of Mideast airlines to benefit Bali tourism

    The Bali branch of the Indonesian Association of Tour Operators (Asita) said increase in the flight frequency planned by major Mideast airlines – Qatar Airways and Emirates Airlines between Middle East and Bali would significantly contribute to the islands tourism growth.

    Qatar Airways said through its Instagram it would increase flights to three times between Doha to Bali starting May 7, 2017.

    “Now there will be more reasons to see the yet untouched beauty of Bali,” the airline wrote in its social media account that drew more than ten thousands of comments.

    Earlier this month, another major airline from that region, Emirate Airlines of the United Arab Emirates already announced plan to increase flight frequency to twice everyday from Dubai to Bali starting July 2 this year.

    The increase in the flight frequency by the two world class airlines would further draw foreign tourists to Bali, Chairman of the Bali branch of Asita Ketut Ardana said here on Monday.

    Ardana said the recent holidaying visit of Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud to Bali has added to the attraction of Bali for tourists from Middle East.

    “Bali is already attractive but with the visit of the Saudi King and his large entourage made Bali more attractive for holiday makers from Middle East,” he said.

    The increase in the flight frequency by the two airlines would facilitate the transport of tourists from that region to Bali, he added.

  • President makes three pleas to creative industry entrepreneurs

    President makes three pleas to creative industry entrepreneurs

    Indonesian President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) has made three pleas to the industry entrepreneurs while inaugurating the Inacraft Exhibition 2017.

    “I have made three pleas to craft and creative industry entrepreneurs in Indonesia to keep their products on spec or meet the buyers specifications, keep the budget or price at a reasonable rate, and timely delivery of the products,” he stated at the Jakarta Convention Center on Wednesday.

    Inacraft exhibition, which will be held from April 26 to April 30, will exhibit products from 1,392 local and foreign participants. This year, Inacraft has taken Yogyakarta as the icon, under the concept “Magnificent of Yogyakarta” and the theme “From Smart Village to Global Market.”

    The second plea from the president was regarding the packaging of the products.

    “Do not forget the packaging. Make the best you can and make it interesting. This is important because most of time, the packaging is what attracts the buyers,” he added.

    His third plea was to deliver the goods on time.

    “The delivery to the consumers could be made easier with various logistics infrastructures that we already have,” he stated.

    Jokowi also pushed the entrepreneurs to make use of the governments people credits program (KUR).

    “I understand the entrepreneurs problems regarding capital. Therefore, I remind the people of the KUR program, which has an interest rate of nine percent only. Hence, the products should be made better to make the investment bigger. I think our credit programs have a competitive interest rate too,” he reiterated.

    Indonesian Exporter and Handicraft Producers (ASEPHI) data, the committee of the exhibition, remarked that the Inacraft 2017 attendees included 65.95 percent of independent individuals, 24.5 percent from the Tourism Department, 8.7 percent from BUMN, and the rest 6.07 percent from other countries such as Myanmar, Japan, Pakistan, Poland, and India.

    This year, Inacraft has set a target of retail business increase of 10 percent, which reaches Rp142 billion, commercial contract of US$12 million, and around 200 thousand buyers from various countries.

    Some of the products exhibited include batik, fashion apparels, accessories, jewelries, and other crafts.