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  • East Lampung to develop 11 tourism attractions

    East Lampung to develop 11 tourism attractions

    The government of East Lampung District in Lampung Province, through the local Culture and Tourism Office, is making every effort to develop 11 tourism attractions in the district in its attempt to attract even more local and foreign tourists.

    “East Lampung district government is ready to develop 11 tourist attractions that include natural, marine, and cultural tourism,” local Culture and Tourism Office Chief Mastur remarked.

    Among many districts in the province, East Lampung is rich, beautiful and an interesting area with friendly people and a lot of tourist attractions.

    According to him, among the 11 tourist attractions to be developed include the Way Kambas National Park, Pugung Raharjo Archaeological Park, Kerang Mas beach, Lake Kemuning, Lake Beringin, agro tourism and cultural tourism.

    Of the 11 tourist attractions, Mastur said Kerang Mas beach in Labuhan Maringgai is now being developed.

    Once this beach development is completed, Lake Kemuning and Lake Beringin will also be developed in stages in an effort to attract 250 thousand tourists to East Lampung in 2016.

    “Our target is to see 250 thousand tourists visiting these tourist attractions this year,” Mastur said.

    Lampung province has 64 waterfalls, numerous small, beautiful islands, and seven leading tourist areas where supporting infrastructure facilities are being improved.

    The seven leading tourist areas are the Waikambas National Park; South Bukit Barisan National Park; Kiluan Bay; Tanjung Setia and Krui Marine Tourism; Siger Tower; Mount Anak Krakatau and Sebesi Island; and Bandarlampung Tourism Area.

  • Ministry striving to attract 400 thousand South Korean tourists

    Ministry striving to attract 400 thousand South Korean tourists

    The Indonesian tourism ministry is taking innovative steps to achieve this years target of attracting 400 thousand tourists from South Korea, including by participating in the “Wedding Expo” in Seoul on July 9-10, 2016.

    Assistant Deputy for Market Development of the Asia-Pacific region of the Ministry of Tourism Vinsensius Jemadu stated from Seoul, South Korea, on Monday, that the ministry continued to fill innovation gaps.

    “We are looking for the slightest opportunities to promote Indonesias segment aboard. It has been almost three years that we have participated in events promoting this segment, but now, we will try again,” he noted in connection with the Tourism Ministrys participation at the wedding exhibition to offer honeymoon packages to various tourism destinations in Indonesia.

    Jemadu is optimistic that its target of drawing 400 thousand tourists from South Korea would be reached.

    In 2015, a total of 359,468 South Korean tourists visited tourist destinations in Indonesia.

    Jemadu pointed out that Bali and Bintan were now the most sought-after locations for pre-wedding photographs among brides and also the venues for the weddings of young Korean couples.

    “They really like the beach and the ambience of the tropical waters in Indonesia,” he noted.

    South Korea has direct flight connectivity to Indonesia. As many as three airlines operate flights to two international airports in Indonesia, and there are some 618,748 seats available on flights to the country.

    “This exhibition is held in summer in South Korea. We hope that during winter, South Koreans will leave the country and visit Indonesia that has moderate weather and is always a good option for couples on honeymoon,” he said.

    “Of course, we did this exhibition to promote the country as a wedding destination for couples planning to wed in autumn. It is this momentum that we are pursuing,” he stated.

    Meanwhile, Head of Asia-Pacific Exhibition of the Ministry of Tourism Rita Sofia in South Korea expressed hope that all engaged in supporting the tourism sector in Indonesia will continue to prepare various attractions, amenities, and access to support the arrival of newlywed South Koreans.

    Tourism Minister Arief Yahya seconded Sofias view as he believed that Korea was a potential market that could be tapped by showcasing Indonesias cultural and natural attractions.

    “The Asian market must be tapped by showcasing the oriental culture, and the countries must be frequently visited to create a joint program. For instance, the distance from Seoul to Indonesias tourism destinations, including to Manado, is not too far, so we just need to increase the number of direct flights,” he explained.

    Yahyas recent visit to South Korea already resulted in a commitment made by the two South Korean airlines —Jeju Air and Jin Air Korea — to operate flights to Indonesia.

    “It will boost the number of South Korean tourist arrivals in the country,” he affirmed.

    Industries participating in the exhibition had also prepared a variety of honeymoon vacation packages. General Manager Globlindo Arief Authority has prepared various packages: Bali Honeymoon Escape, Lombok Honeymoon, Tanjung Lesung Honeymoon, Kepulauan Seribu Honeymoon, and Raja Ampat Honeymoon.

  • 250 thousand tourists visit Gunung Kidul during Lebaran holidays

    250 thousand tourists visit Gunung Kidul during Lebaran holidays

    Around 250 thousand tourists visited numerous tourist attractions in Gunung Kidul District, Yogyakarta, in a week during the 2016 Lebaran holidays, according to local Culture and Tourism Office spokesman Hary Sukmono.

    “Based on reports received from several tourist attractions, the total revenue generated from 250 thousand tourists visiting the areas amounted to Rp1.57 billion,” Sukmono remarked here on Tuesday.

    However, the spokesman acknowledged that the number of tourists visiting Gunung Kidul during the Lebaran holidays in 2016 had dropped slightly from 362 thousand during the same period in 2015.

    Sukmono explained that until the end of December 2015, more than 2.6 million domestic and foreign tourists had visited all tourist attractions in Gunung Kidul District.

    He said the number of tourists visiting Gunung Kiduls tourist attractions last year had exceeded 2.6 million, with the total local revenue reaching Rp20.9 billion.

    The target of tourist arrivals in Gunung Kidul District in 2016 is set to be more than 2.6 million people, and the local culture and tourism office will continue to innovate to welcome tourists who will visit the district, he noted.

    The Gunung Kidul local government in Yogyakarta is making efforts to promote and develop the districts tourist spots under the framework of its tourism investment development mission, according to regional development planning board spokesman Syarief Armunanto.

    “The tourism investment development mission will focus on natural tourism, village tourism, cultural tourism, and special-interest tourism,” he remarked here some time ago.

    Gunung Kidul has several natural tourist attractions, such as the Ngrancah waterfall in Ngleri Village, along with the pristine beaches of Gesing, Ngrenehan, Ngobaran, and Baron, in addition to Krakal, Sunduk, Watu Lawang, Drini, and Sepanjang.

    “In 2016, we are going to build and renovate various supporting infrastructure facilities, such as souvenir shops and restaurants,” Syarief said, adding that the district had several interesting tourism villages.

  • Garuda Indonesia Raking It In During Idul Fitri Holiday

    Garuda Indonesia Raking It In During Idul Fitri Holiday

    Flag carrier Garuda Indonesia filled more seats on its domestic flights during the Lebaran exodus this year, as more people chose air travel to return to their hometown for Idul Fitri.

    The state-controlled airline’s average load factor — which indicates how much an airline makes use of its seat capacity — went up to 74 percent from June 24 to July 5, a day before Idul Fitri, on all of its domestic routes, Benny S. Butarbutar, Garuda Indonesia’s vice president of corporate communication, said on Saturday (09/07).

    Benny did not give a figure for last year’s Idul Fitri holiday.

    Still, the latest figure could mark a turnaround for Garuda. The full-service airline had seen its load factor dip to 69 percent in the first three months of this year, compared to 74 percent in the same period last year, as weak economic growth forced cost-conscious travelers to opt out of the airline’s services.

    Garuda added 32,000 more seats on 132 extra flights, 112 of which are on international routes, between June 24 to July 17 to cater for Indonesians during the annual Lebaran exodus, Benny said.

    “This represents a 35 percent increase in our extra capacity from the same period last year,” Benny said.

    The National Police estimated 17.6 million people made the travel back to their hometown during the Lebaran exodus this year. Ouf of that figure, 4.6 million chose air travel, up 7.6 percent from a year ago as people’s purchasing power has increased and local airlines offer new fleets and routes.

    Air travelers met with relatively few problems during this year’s Lebaran exodus compared to their peers taking land routes, who were met by hellish traffic jams on toll roads across Java.

  • Red Bull apologises to Indonesia over offensive ad

    Red Bull apologises to Indonesia over offensive ad

    Red Bull has publicly apologised for shooting a commercial in which an athlete performed acrobatic stunts across one of Indonesia’s ancient holy temples, an official said Thursday.

    Red Bull has issued an apology in Indonesia’s national newspapers admitting it shot an advert at the 9th-century Borobudur temple “without permission from the appropriate authorities”

    The energy drink manufacturer issued an apology in national newspapers admitting it shot the video at the 9th-century Borobudur temple “without permission from the appropriate authorities”.

    The video — in which a famous “free running” athlete is shown jumping between the temple’s stone stupas — triggered outrage in Indonesia, where Borobudur is a revered Buddhist site and national icon.

    In one scene, the athlete is seen walking past a sign clearly stating “No Climbing” in both English and Indonesian before performing acrobatics throughout the UNESCO-listed heritage site.

    The video was shot secretly despite the crew having been issued a warning by temple guards, Borobudur Conservation Agency head Marsis Sutopo told AFP.

    “They must have shot again while our guards were not looking,” he said.

    The video, uploaded online on March 18, sparked outrage within Indonesia and prompted the government to threaten a legal suit against Red Bull.

    Authorities later issued a warning to the drink company after determining no physical damage had been incurred.

    Red Bull met with government officials in early June and agreed to place formal apologies in national newspapers.

    “We want to set an example because we painstakingly try to conserve this historical site,” education ministry official Hilmar Farid told AFP.

    “It was obvious as there was a “No Climbing” sign there too.”

    Red Bull have also been asked to shoot a new video explaining the importance of protecting holy sites, Farid added.

  • Starbucks barista from Indonesia Ryan Wibawa competes in the World Brewers Cup finals

    Starbucks barista from Indonesia Ryan Wibawa competes in the World Brewers Cup finals

    “It was like a dream come true,” said Wibawa, a Starbucks barista from Indonesia.  I felt very humbled and honored to represent my country in an international competition. The experience was the best teacher.”

    Wibawa was matched against 36 competitors from all over the world at the championships, which took place from June 23-25 in Dublin, Ireland. As part of the competition, he crafted three coffee beverages that were judged on aroma, flavor, taste, acidity, body and balance. Wibawa also had to impress the judges with his customer service skills.

    “The competition was hard, but it was a great challenge for me,” he said. “No words can describe the feeling,” he said. “From every competition I gain something, new knowledge, new friends and new skills.”

    Although a competitor from Japan took first place, Wibawa is proud to have ranked among the top 25.

    Wibawa was first exposed to coffee when he joined Starbucks two years ago. He learned quickly and developed an enthusiasm for all things coffee, which led to being selected as his district’s coffee master in 2014. A year later, he won Starbucks Indonesia’s Barista Championships and ranked number one in the Indonesian Brewers Cup Championship. In February 2016, he placed in the top three at the China and Asia Pacific (CAP) region’s Starbucks Barista Championships. His vast experience paved the way for competing in Dublin.

    “Participating in a world competition definitely had a different feeling,” said Wibawa. “The competitors from all around the world had excellent coffee skills. It was a tough competition and a great learning experience.”

    When Wibawa is not competing, he works at Indonesia’s first Starbucks Reserve store in Jakarta, where he delights customers with his coffee craft. He also shares his expertise by training other Starbucks partners at Indonesia’s third Starbucks Reserve location in Bandung.

    “I am very lucky and grateful to have a very supportive family, friends and all Starbucks partners,” he said. “They gave me the strength to compete in the World Brewers Cup competition.”

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  • Capital Financial Indonesia Eyes Rp 715b From July IPO

    Capital Financial Indonesia Eyes Rp 715b From July IPO

    Sinarmas Sekuritas was appointed as the lead underwriter of the company’s share sale, with assistance from Jasa Utama Capital, Yulie Sekurindo, Phillip Securities Indonesia, Panin Sekuritas, Valbury Asia Securities and Erdikha Elit Sekuritas.

    Kirana Cemerlang Abadi currently owns 99.9 percent of the company’s shares. If the IPO plan goes smoothly, Kirana’s holding will be diluted to 52.38 percent.

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  • Ngurah Rai Airport offers additional flights for Lebaran holidaymakers

    Ngurah Rai Airport offers additional flights for Lebaran holidaymakers

    Some airline companies at the Ngurah Rai International Airport in Bali have started offering additional flights to handle the influx of passengers during the post-fasting Lebaran holidays.

    PT Angkasa Pura-I General Manager Trikora Harjo explained here on Tuesday that the additional flights were provided for international arrivals and departures.

    Harjo revealed that a total of 419 passengers had used additional flights for international arrivals and departures on Tuesday.

    Similar to the long Lebarang holidays in previous years, the flow of passengers at the Ngurah Rai Airport is different compared to that in other regions of Indonesia.

    The Ngurah Rai Airport is always dominated by an influx of both local and foreign tourists keen on spending the long holidays of Lebaran.

    Harjo stated that the number of departures last year had reached 119,937, while this year, it was forecast to reach 151,548.

    Referring to the growth in the percentage of domestic passengers, Harjo has estimated that the flow of departing passengers will peak during the period between six and five days before Eid.

    On June 30, six days before Eid, the number of domestic passengers departing from the Ngurah Rai Airport had reached 15,026 aboard 112 aircraft. This figure indicated a 128 percent increase compared to the previous year.

    As of July 1, five days prior to Eid, the number of domestic passengers departing from Bali was recorded at 15,771, a 105 percent rise from the year before.

    The increase in the percentage of domestic passengers was anticipated as the last working day for both public and private institutions fell on Friday, July 1.

    In this way, the travelers opted to return to their hometowns on the same day as they would get to spend more time there.

    The Ngurah Rai International Airport served 226 additional flights, proposed by seven airlines for both domestic and international routes.

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  • Indonesia’s Pertamina targets stakes in two Iranian oil, gas blocks

    Indonesia’s Pertamina targets stakes in two Iranian oil, gas blocks

    Indonesia’s state-owned Pertamina will sign a memorandum of understanding with the National Iranian Oil Co. next month to develop oil and gas blocks in Iran.

    Under the initial agreement, Pertamina will be allowed access to data on four Iranian oil blocks, a senior company official said Friday.

    “There are two to four blocks that will be evaluated based on the initial study. Of the four, there are two blocks that will be our priority,” Syamsu Alam, Pertamina’s upstream director, said.

    Pertamina expects to get an additional production of 30,000 b/d from each block if it is allowed to acquire the blocks, Alam said.

    Indonesia and Iran have recently intensified efforts to cooperate. Pertamina and NIOC recently signed a heads of agreement for the latter to supply refrigerated LPG to the former. Pertamina is also planning to import a 1-million-barrel cargo of Iran Light crude oil in the third quarter of this year to test the grade at its 348,000 b/d Cilacap refinery in Central Java

    Pertamina has allocated a capital expenditure of $5.31 billion this year, of which 72% is for upstream business. The company plans to spend $2 billion on upstream mergers and acquisitions this year.

    The state-owned company’s overseas blocks produced 83,000 b/d in May 2016 compared with 75,000 b/d in May last year. The increase mainly came from the company’s 10% stake in the West Qurna block in Iraq.

    Pertamina has three producing oil and gas blocks located in Malaysia, Algeria and Iraq.

    The company produced 306,250 b/d of crude in Q1 2016, up 14.5% year on year. Gas production rose by 22.2% year on year in Q1 this year to 1.98 Bcf/day, Alam said. The company is targeting production of 327,000 b/d of crude and condensate and 1.926 Bcf/d of gas in 2016. The figure is equal to 659,000 b/d of oil equivalent, up 10% year on year.

    With limited options domestically, the company is looking at growing its production via acquisition of overseas blocks. It is in advanced talks with Russia’s Rosneft to take a stake of about 10%-15% in two oil gas blocks in Russia. The company is aiming to get 35,000 b/d of production and 200 million barrels of reserves from those blocks.

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  • Indonesia plans emergency law to let foreigners buy apartments

    Indonesia plans emergency law to let foreigners buy apartments

    Property sector needs reform to attract investments, says minister. Indonesia plans to issue an emergency law – known as a perppu – to break an impasse of more than a decade in efforts to streamline unfriendly laws as the country aims to allow foreigners to purchase apartments in Indonesia.

    The government had in the past repeatedly tried to move forward and set regulations to allow foreigners to own apartments in South-east Asia’s biggest economy.

    But they were never able to get these implemented because the basic stipulation under Indonesia’s 1960 Agrarian Law is that foreigners just cannot own homes in the country, Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Luhut Pandjaitan said.

    “But the era has changed now. The property sector needs a reform so we could attract foreign investment. Foreigners should be allowed to buy apartments – but not landed houses – even if they don’t hold Kitas (Indonesia’s residence permit),” Luhut told The Straits Times.

    “It is similar to that in Singapore,” he added.

    Indonesia’s Constitution gives the President the right to issue a rule in lieu of law (perppu) when he determines that an emergency in the country requires it.

    A perppu is immediately effective after the President signs it, and Parliament can either let it remain effective or end it within a year after the perppu is issued.

    Luhut said the perppu that covers a new rule allowing foreign investors to buy apartments is one of between four and five perppu that Indonesia plans to issue by August, to resolve other obstacles hindering the government reform programme.

    “This is a revolutionary step to address such problems,” he said.

    A so-called debottlenecking working committee has been set up to identify problematic and protracted clauses in all laws.

    “We will comb all legislations that overlap with each other,” Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa, who heads the working committee, told The Straits Times.

    The perppu will supersede only the problematic clauses in each law and serve to bypass them, Luhut said.

    He added that one perppu could address problems in five to more than 10 existing laws, and about 80 per cent to 90 per cent of the existing laws can be harmonised.

    Issuing perppu is a normal practice that some foreign governments, such as the United States, also use, Luhut said, adding that the term used in the US is “presidential Act”.

    In May, President Joko Widodo signed a perppu that allows courts to increase penalties for sex crimes, which include for the first time chemical castration and death sentence, after the media highlighted a growing number of attacks against children.

    Previously, the maximum sentence for a child sex offence was 15 years’ jail. Indonesians have mostly welcomed the move.

    Amending existing laws through the normal process, by proposing Bills to Indonesian Parliament, can drag on for several years, and in some cases, proposed Bills were thrown out.

    Numerous government reform programs in Indonesia in the past decades have hit a snag due to conflicting laws that need amendment.

  • Durex maker looking for greater penetration in Indonesia

    Durex maker looking for greater penetration in Indonesia

    Reckitt Benckiser is aiming to expand its presence in Indonesia’s consumer market as the British multinational company plans to introduce several new brands.

    “We’re looking for an aggressive product and portfolio expansion. We’ll continue to work on building brands, entering new categories. The products will come in the near future,” Reckitt Benckiser Indonesia president director Ratanjit Das said during a recent interview.

    Das, however, declined to provide details regarding the brands or their expected launch schedule. The new brands will add to its list of 20 brands already being marketed in Indonesia, such as Durex condoms, Dettol antiseptic, Vanish stain remover and Strepsils throat lozenges.

    To deepen its presence, the company will meet head-to-head with its major competitors, namely Anglo-Dutch Unilever, American SC Johnson and Son and Japan’s Kao.

    Das said he was confident in the Indonesian market, citing the country’s relatively higher disposable income on the back of falling inflation and greater media use.

    “Consumers are becoming more and more aware of household products through the media. Therefore they’re ready to spend and more willing to experiment. So in the future, I would say it will be good for the FMCG [Fast Moving Consumer Goods] business, as well as for us,” he said.

    Data from the World Bank show that Indonesia’s GDP per capita rose significantly in the 2004-2014 period. GDP per capita stood at US$3,491.9 in 2014, an increase of more than three times from $1,150.3 in 2004.

    The Boston Consulting Group has also projected that 8 to 9 million people are expected to enter the middle-income bracket every year in Indonesia, until the total reaches 141 million in 2020.

    According to Reckitt Benckiser, the use of digital media has increased, especially social media like YouTube, and has helped the company advertise its products. At present, it primarily uses digital media to advertise its Durex products due to existing restrictions on condom advertising on television.

    Despite the company’s growing preference for digital media, offline activities still dominate Reckitt Benckiser’s marketing activities. For instance, it partners with the Health Ministry and the Indonesia Doctors Association (IDI) in its Healthy Life Mission campaign to introduce Dettol antiseptic at community centers.

    The company currently operates two factories in Cileungsi, West Java, and Semarang, Central Java.

    In terms of costs, Das said the exchange rate remained one of its biggest business challenges as many products were still imported. High logistics costs amid a lack of proper infrastructure are also two items of concern.

    No specific financial details are available regarding the company’s operations in Indonesia. However, its latest financial report reveals that 31 percent of its £719 million ($956.68 million) revenues in the first quarter of 2016 were generated from developing markets, including Indonesia.

  • MPPA increases stake in MatahariMall.com to 10%

    MPPA increases stake in MatahariMall.com to 10%

    With the acquisition, MPPA hopes to benefit from wider access to e-commerce as its development will remain strong this year. The Company views e-commerce in Indonesia is an enormous market and will continue to grow.

    The investment and partnership with MatahariMall.com is a new opportunity to foster O2O e-commerce components that encourage the sale contribution in the future. The relationship will improve MPPA’s position as the leading multi-format modern retailer in Indonesia, as well as contribute to a sound financial outlook going forward. MPPA takes advantage to secure a new opportunity to display and market the Company’s exclusive brand throughout Indonesia via e-commerce.

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  • SMEs switch to online for branding, expansion

    SMEs switch to online for branding, expansion

    Indonesian small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are taking advantage of the unique methods of engagement that online services offer them and potential customers.

    The owner of Jakarta-based desserts maker PUYO Desserts, Adrian Agus, owes much of his brand’s success to intensive online campaigns through various social media and messaging apps.

    By connecting directly with his customers through these platforms, Adrian has been able to find a quick way for his colorful home-made puddings to capture the public eye.

    Shortly after he started the business in 2013, Adrian found that social media greatly helped his marketing operations at little cost. In the beginning, PUYO’s marketing campaigns mostly centered on Instagram where it slowly gained traction and attracted loyal followers.

    “Social media campaigns have been very effective for the business. Right now, we’re holding a lot of competitions on Instagram,” he told The Jakarta Post on Thursday, elaborating on the creative engagement that Instagram offers between customer and vendor.

    Gradually, PUYO has branched out to Twitter and LINE to help sell its products, with the use of these services’ operational tools such as LINE’s LINE@ service, which enables the user to send mass messages to all customers that follow its LINE account.

    Japanese-based LINE Corporation itself describes the Line@ feature in its messaging app as “the same as broadcast messaging”. The company, however, says that the idea is more specifically aimed at nurturing businesses.

    Currently, PUYO has over 59,600 followers on its Instagram account and has evolved from being a home-based business in 2013 to having 22 outlets across Greater Jakarta.

    Meanwhile, the social apps behind these successes are increasingly aware of their role in the small business sector.

    Apps such as LINE, KakaoTalk, WeChat or WhatsApp have had their purposes extended beyond the simple text message, with some apps gradually rolling out new features that help small businesses thrive or become more efficient.

    LINE Indonesia’s head of marketing Galuh Chandrakirana explained that the rollouts of the company’s newer features such as Line for PC, Line Group Call and Line Today would help small businesses in making their operations more mobile, as mobility is becoming more emphasized in today’s business world, with SMEs able to benefit from these services through trimming their costs.

    “Features such as Line for PC, which can be opened from desktops, are not geared necessarily for SMEs but it serves to help them cut communications costs. However, we do plan to roll out a feature which is specifically designed to help that sector in the next month or two,” she elaborated.

    Currently, LINE has recorded over 1 million downloads in Indonesia comprising small businesses including online shops, offline retailers, specific communities and bloggers. Up to 40 percent of that figure is active businesses who utilize LINE in their practices.

    Indonesia has the highest number of SMEs in Southeast Asia, with over 50 million operating nationwide, however, only 1 percent of these are officially “connected” online.

    Last month, the government announced its cooperation with online SME promotion service Nurbaya Initiatives to explore new ways of encouraging SMEs to tap into the digital era’s potential.

    Collaborating with state-owned postal company PT Pos Indonesia, Nurbaya is targeting to bring 2 million SMEs online within the next two years. The company will assign a facilitator to provide each participating SME with advice on online promotion, including the setting up of online stores and payment platforms.

    Nurbaya will also assign a relationship manager to every online shop, allowing clients to focus on production. “By our collaboration with the postal service, SMEs will have help in terms of logistics and quality control,” Nurbaya’s CEO Andy Sjarif said.

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  • Indonesia ranked 2nd in top destinations for Muslims

    Indonesia ranked 2nd in top destinations for Muslims

    Indonesia has been ranked second in the list of “Top 20 Destinations for Muslim Travelers in Ramadan 2016,” in the Mastercard-Crescent Rating Ramadan Travel Report.

    The deputy for overseas tourism marketing of the Ministry of Tourism, I Gde Pitana on Monday hailed the achievement which showed that Indonesia has become a more favorite destination for Muslim travelers.

    In the survey carried out by CrescentRating, Malaysia was ranked first.

    The survey was carried out to know the 20 favorite destinations for travelers during the 2016 Ramadhan holiday.

    The ten top destinations for Muslim travelers, according to the survey, are Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Turkey, Brunei Darussalam, South Africa, Maldives, United Arab Emirates, Iran and Oman.

    Pitana said in the past few years, a number of countries have focused on Muslim majority markets and have thus become his offices focus of attention with regard to tapping their potential to boost foreign visitors to Indonesia.

    With the recognition, he said, it is hoped Indonesia will be better known among Muslim travelers across the world.

    “This is a potential segment that, we hope, will contribute much to achieving the target of foreign tourist arrivals this year,” he said.

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  • Shopping malls in Jakarta to remain open on Eid

    Shopping malls in Jakarta to remain open on Eid

    A number of shopping malls in Jakarta will remain open on the Eid al-Fitr holiday or Lebaran on Wednesday to serve visitors.

    The malls that will open that day include Atrium and Lotus. “We will open late,” an employee of the Lotus shopping mall, Doni, said here on Tuesday.

    He informed that ahead of Lebaran, the shopping center closed 30 minutes later than the usual time of 22.00 hours.

    “Since June 27, we have been closing at 2230 hours, and opening at 0900 hours,” he added.

    Doni disclosed that for the past three days, just ahead of Lebaran, his shopping center has been closing at 2300 hours.

    “On Lebaran day, we will open at 13.00 hours,” he noted.

    The Atrium Mall in Pasar Senen, Central Jakarta, will also remain open on Lebaran.

    A shop attendant at the mall, Agus, rued that he could not return to his home town in Solo, Central Java, because he had to work.

    Several shops in the shopping centers in Jakarta will remain closed during Lebaran, including those at Mal ITC Cempaka Mas.

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