Indonesia to host international forum on Islamic Tourism in June

Indonesia will host the 1st OIC International Forum on Islamic Tourism in June 2-3, 2014, to identify the business potential and promote global Shariah tourism.

Deputy Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy Sapta Nirwandar stated here on Monday that Indonesia was appointed as the host of the forum by majority of the tourism ministers of OIC (Organization of the Islamic Conference) members during a meeting in Banjul, Gambia, on December 6th.

The Worlds Muslim population in 2012 reached 1.6 billion, whereas the global population was 6.9 billion, while a study conducted by the Pew Research Center Forum on Religion and Public Life revealed that the Muslim population grows 1.5 percent each year.

According to Nirwandar, the potential of Shariah tourism will continue to grow as the worlds Muslim population will reach 2.2 billion, around 26.4 percent of the worlds population (8.2 billion), in 2030.

"Through this forum, we expect to strengthen the Shariah tourism position as one of the success keys in supporting the global economy," the deputy minister emphasized.

The forum is also expected to identify the business potential in Shariah tourism and increase cooperation between the OIC members.

"This forum is also expected to be able to promote Shariah tourism destinations and its products, such as hotels, travel packages, restaurants, and spas. We also encourage the business industry to see the huge business opportunity in Shariah-based tourism," Nirwandar reiterated.

The Thomson Reuters report on the State of the Global Islamic Economy 2012 showed that global Muslim consumers spent US$1,088 billion on halal food and non-alcoholic beverages in 2012. The number accounted for 16.6 percent of the global consumption of food and beverages and was forecast to reach US$1,626 billion by 2018.

Meanwhile, in 2012, the Muslim population spent US4137 billion in travelling, 12.5 percent of the global spending. The number was forecast to reach US$181 billion in 2018.

Director General of Multilateral Affairs of Foreign Affairs Ministry Hasan Kleib fully supported the forum and stated that the forum will be able to promote global Shariah tourism.

Source: Antara News

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Village tourism operators urged to set up network

Village tourism operators in Bali have been called on to establish a strong network to enhance their services, marketing efforts and management.

Ketut Punia, coordinator of the  Bali village Tourism Communication Forum, told journalists that village tourism was warmly received  by the international tourism market.

In the past, tourists would only stop by and spend a few hours in the village before heading back to their hotels.

“Now, many of them are eager to stay in the village and spend their holidays in rural areas,” Punia said.

Every village has unique potentials to offer to their guests — be it culture, nature or rural lifestyles, the visitors hardly find in their home countries.

Punia also said village tourism growth in Bali had contributed to improving the lives of locals — in terms of economy, job opportunities and the wide marketing of their products such as handicrafts, traditional textiles, food and beverages.

“However, the village [which manages rural tourism] rarely collaborates with its counterparts. Every village tourism operator seems to work by itself,” Punia said.

Every operator, he said, might learn from their counterparts. Upgrading human resources in the villages was equally important, he continued.

In Indonesia, village tourism operators established a village tourism communication forum in September 2012, with members from Sumatra, Java and West Nusa Tenggara.

“The forum has regularly held meetings and activities involving members and other operators willing to develop village tourism,” he said.

Every village in Bali can be developed for village tourism.

“It depends on how we manage and maximize the village’s potentials,” he said.

 Bali has a number of  villages in the Village Tourism Network (JED), developed by the Wisnu Foundation.

Members of JED include Plaga village in Badung, Sudaji in Buleleng regency, Batur village in Bangli and some villages in Karangasem in East Bali.

Village tourism started by individual efforts, without significant support from the community, let alone government officials.

“Running such small-scale village tourism activity will not benefit the majority of the community,” he said.

Village tourism is supposed to involve the entire community. “Establishing village tourism is not replicating tourism in Kuta or Sanur.

“A village does not need a hotel or luxury accommodations. Visitors are invited to stay at modest but clean homestays, while enjoying life in a Balinese village,” he said.

I Kaput Astra, head of tourism development at the Bali Tourism office, admitted that there was a lot of work to be done.

“Villagers are enthusiastic about participating in village tourism programs. But, they need to attend training and upgrade their skills to manage village tourism. The government fully supports community-based tourism,” Astra said.

Source : Bali Daily 

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Plans Under Way To Boost Rural Tourism In Yogyakarta

JAKARTA, Oct 26 -- Local administrations in Yogyakarta are working on managing and developing tourist spots, especially tourism villages, in a bid to attract more tourists to the region.

With its diverse natural, cultural and historical attractions, the Bantul district is expected to support the development of the Special Region of Yogyakarta into a major tourist destination in Indonesia.

Indonesian news agency Antara reports the local government is making efforts to manage tourist attractions to encourage the growth of the tourism industry, and to drive the economic activities of locals to increase their income.

Among the many tourist attractions Bantul has to offer are the Agro Park Orchard, a wooden batik centre, and the tourism villages of Dlingo, Sendangsari, Pajangan and Kuwaru beach.

Bantul has about 20 tourism villages, but there is no regional regulation to manage and develop them to improve the local community's welfare and introduce creative economic activities.

The local Culture and Tourism Department is drafting a regional regulation to manage and develop the tourism villages in the region, the department's chief Bambang Priharyanto said in Bantul on Friday.

"The draft of the regulation is being discussed at the legislative level, and we hope it will soon be endorsed for the management and development of tourism villages here," Bambang stated.

The tourism villages can be managed well if there is a strategy to develop them either with the help of cooperatives or directly by tourism-conscious groups, Bambang remarked.

The regional regulation is being mapped out following a directive from the Ministry of Home Affairs to determine the contribution made by tourism villages to the local community and the government, he added.

"The Ministry of Home Affairs frequently asks how much the tourism villages have contributed to the region's revenue, signaling the ministry's intention to formulate a regional regulation," he noted.

Besides Bantul, the Gunung Kidul district in Yogyakarta is also making efforts to promote and develop its tourist spots under the framework of the Tourism Investment Development Mission.

The Development Mission will focus on natural tourism, village tourism, cultural tourism and special-interest tourism, said Gunung Kidul Regional Development Planning Board spokesman Syarief Armunanto recently.

"The local government will step up efforts to improve infrastructure facilities at tourist spots in the district," Syarief stated.

According to him, Gunung Kidul has many natural attractions such as the Ngrancah waterfall in Ngleri village and the pristine beaches of Gesing, Ngrenehan, Ngobaran, Baron, Krakal, Sunduk, Watu Lawang, Drini and Sepanjang, besides several tourism villages.

In addition, Gunung Kidul district also has several spots of cultural interest in Gunung Gambar and Wonokobaran, Syarif added.

Some popular tourism villages of Gunung Kidul include Putat, Nglanggeran, Bendung, Ngeposari, Beji, Bleberan, Umbulrejo, and Kemadang.

"In a bid to develop these tourism villages, officials from the Gunung Kidul Culture and Tourism office will provide training lessons on English and tourism management to the villagers," Syarief explained.

Meanwhile, Widya Budaya Foundation chairperson Widi Utaminingsih said that together with other tourist spots, tourist villages will enhance tourists' overall experience.

"Every tourism village in Yogyakarta has its own culture and tradition, and is blessed with a natural beauty that is unique," Widi observed, adding the Widya Budaya Foundation is concerned about the tourism sector and cultural development in the region.

Each rural tourist spot has agricultural fields, animal farms and cultural attractions which can be developed to attract tourists, she noted.

According to her, there are at least 50 villages in Yogyakarta that can be developed into rural tourist spots.

"Ideally, a tourism village should have local elements so that tourists have a unique experience. Besides, the local character of a tourism village should be reflected in its accommodation and transportation facilities, as well as in the presentation of historical information," she observed.

There are several popular tourism villages in the Yogyakarta province in the districts of Sleman, Kulonprogro, Bantul, the Yogyakarta city, and Gunungkidul.

In Sleman district, the local community is working hard to develop tourism villages.

"The persistence and the spirit of the villagers have contributed to the progress of tourism villages in Sleman," said Untoro Budiharjo, spokesman for the local Culture and Tourism Office.

The development of tourism villages in the district is based on the principle 'of the people, by the people, and for the people, he noted.

In tourism villages, the traditions and the culture of the local community are preserved so they remain untouched by globalisation.

To develop the rural tourism sector, the local communities have to improve infrastructure, including transportation, medical services, accommodation, and telecommunications.

To promote rural tourism internationally, the chief of the Widya Budaya Foundation has urged the managers of tourism villages to use digital media to publicise their villages.

"Promoting a village using digital media tools will be effective because the information can be accessed by anyone in any part of the world," Widi note.

Source : bernama.com.my

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Bali

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Bali has been the favorite destination for locals and international tourists for ages. Bali has been the favorite destination for locals and international tourists for ages. Full of magnificent beaches, breathtaking sceneries, marvellous trinkets and interesting culture, Bali is ideal for people wanting to escape from daily activities, enjoy a honeymoon, or even, have a great time with family and friends.

Bali is an Indonesian island located at 8°25'23?S 115°14'55?E, the westernmost of the Lesser Sunda Islands, lying between Java to the west and Lombok to the east. It is one of the country's 33 provinces with the provincial capital at Denpasar towards the south of the island.

With a population recorded as 3,151,000 in 2005, the island is home to the vast majority of Indonesia's small Hindu minority. 93.18% of Bali's population adheres to Balinese Hinduism, while most of the remainder follow Islam. It is also the largest tourist destination in the country and is renowned for its highly developed arts, including dance, sculpture, painting, leather, metalworking and music.

Source : www.indonesia.travel

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Jakarta

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Capital of the Republic of Indonesia, Jakarta is a huge, sprawling metropolitan city with a population of more than 9 million people.  Jakarta is the seat of national government as well as seat of the provincial government of Greater Jakarta. Here is also the national Parliament, the Supreme Court and the Constitutional Court. This city is moreover the country’s center of finance and business. It is the center of the nation’s economics and politics as here converge people from all over Indonesia, attracting people from all walks of life.  Jakarta is also the center of Indonesia’s modern music and sound, and center of Indonesia’s lively creative industry.  It is no wonder, therefore, that whatever happens in Jakarta is national interest and it is for these reasons that Jakarta is the hub of Indonesia’s modern history and modern life.

Jakarta was where Indonesia proclaimed Independence on 17 August 1945 initiated by the National Awakening Movement in 1908 and the Youth Movement against colonialism since 1928.  Jakarta was also where the ongoing Indonesian Reform movement started in 1997. Jakarta, formerly known as Batavia, was the seat of the Dutch East India company, VOC, and later of the colonial government over the then Dutch East Indies.  

Located on the north coast on the western part of the island of Java, the Province of Greater Jakarta today comprises of 6 municipalities, namely Central Jakarta which includes the Merdeka Square and the elite residential area of Menteng; South Jakarta, which includes the districts of Kebayoran and Bintaro; West Jakarta, now being developed into a prime municipality where Jakarta’s tallest building and hotel will be constructed; East Jakarta, location of the Indonesia in Miniature Park as well as many industrial estates; North Jakarta, the city’s prime trading area and site of Jakarta’s beach recreation Ancol Dreamland; and the Thousand Islands, some 76 idyllic islands lying in the Bay of Jakarta.

Today construction around the city is booming. Super de-luxe hotels sprout next to supermalls carrying super brand names. Luxurious housing apartments are equipped with Olympic sized swimming pools, shopping centers and recreation grounds to pamper residents. And to reach one end of this sprawling city to the other, the government has built toll roads around, through and over Jakarta’s busiest centers, yet one can be sure that during peak hours, traffic on these roads will surely be jammed.

In fact, there are a lot of things to do and to see in Jakarta. But travel-wise, Jakarta is difficult to get around because of the dense car and motorbike population. The best advice for visitors is to stay in a hotel in an area where you will spend most of your time for conferences or business meetings, for shopping or exhibitions, while allowing time for exploring the city or for sightseeing to particular days only when one has more time to spare.

Because of its huge population, Jakarta is dense. Therefore one finds juxtaposed here luxurious houses next to road-side shacks, and state-of-the art cars fighting for space with dilapidated buses. But the city is very dynamic and full of life during the day and well into the night.

Here one finds restaurants serving international cuisine or regional dishes from the archipelago, ranging from exclusive restaurants to road-side stalls to satisfy everyone’s taste buds. There are also a number of beautiful golf courses around the city, where Indonesian and foreign businessmen spend entire weekends.

Jakarta’s nightlife is second to none. Discos, nightclubs, music rooms in top class hotels or stand-alone offer a wide variety of music and dance opportunities. The annual Java Jazz Festival is the international event for jazz buffs. Indonesia’s best bands and singing stars all live in this great city.

Jakarta is, moreover, a great place for shopping, and is able to compete in choice and price with many favourite shopping cities around the world like Singapore and Hong Kong. The Plaza Indonesia, Plaza Senayan, Pondok Indah Mall, Pacific Place, are just a few of the plethora of upscale shopping centers found across this huge city. While for bargain rates, Tanah Abang wholesale center, Mangga Dua and Kelapa Gading are favourite shopping haunts. Yearly the Jakarta Great Sale offers huge discounts attracting thousands of shoppers from the provinces and South East Asia.

Source : www.indonesia.travel

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Climate

Being a tropical country, Indonesia is blessed with two seasons, namely dry and rainy. Dry usually occurs from June to September and the rest is rainy season. Sunshine is abundant except in rainy season when the sky tends to be cloudy. It is advisable to visit Indonesia during dry season.

Make sure that your visit does not coincide with holiday festivities such as Muslim holiday Eid (or Lebaran, like Indonesians are fond to say), because the traffic tends to be heavy especially in Java island. Unless you are interested in seeing the festivals up close and experiencing them, of course.

Indonesia’s climate can be hot and humid, so bringing along sunblocks and moisturizers during dry season is recommended. No need to bring umbrellas during rainy season because they are abundant and can easily be bought even in small shops. You might need extra clothing though, and you can purchase them almost anywhere.

Source : www.indonesia.travel

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History of Indonesia

Ever since prehistoric times the Indonesian archipelago has been inhabited. Java Man or pithecanthropus erectus (upright apeman) is the oldest known inhabitant here, having lived over a million years ago. Other more recent prehistoric species include the still disputed homo Floresiensis, or the Flores hobbits, dwarf people, who have also made these islands their home.

Historically, Chinese chronicles mention that trade between India, China and these islands was already thriving since the first century AD. The powerful maritime empire of Criwijaya with capital around Palembang in southern Sumatra, was the centre for Buddhism learning and was known for its wealth. It held sway over the Sumatra seas and the Malacca Straits from the 7th to the 13th. century. In the 8th -9th century, the Sailendra Dynasty of the Mataram kingdom in Central Java built the magnificent Buddhist Borobudur temple in Central Java, this was followed by the construction of the elegant Hindu Prambanan Temple built by the Civaistic king Rakai Pikatan of the Sanjaya line.   

From 1294 to the 15th century the powerful Majapahit Kingdom in East Java held suzerainty over a large part of this archipelago. Meanwhile, small and large sultanates thrived on many islands of the archipelago, from Sumatra to Java and Bali, to Kalimantan, Sulawesi, Ternate and the Moluccas.

In the 13th century, Islam entered Indonesia through the trade route by way of India, and today, Islam is the religion of the majority of the population.

Throughout history, traders have brought the world’s large religions of Buddhism, Hinduism and Islam to this archipelago, deeply influencing this country’s culture and way of life. Yet Indonesia was never conquered by India nor China, until Europeans came and colonized these islands.

Marco Polo was the first European to set foot on Sumatra. Later, in search for the Spice Islands the Portuguese and Spaniards arrived in these islands sailing around the Cape of Good Hope in southern Africa. In 1596 the first Dutch vessels anchored at the shores of West Java after a long voyage.  Over the next three centuries, the Dutch gradually colonized this archipelago until it became known as the Dutch East Indies.
 
But revolt against the colonizers soon built up throughout the country. The Indonesian youth, in their Youth Pledge of 1928 vowed together to build “One Country, One Nation and One Language: Indonesia”, regardless of race, religion, language or ethnic background in the territory then known as the Dutch East Indies. 

Finally, on 17 August 1945, after the defeat of the Japanese in the Second World War, the Indonesian people declared their Independence through their leaders Soekarno and Hatta. Freedom, however was not easily granted. Only after years of bloody fighting did the Dutch government finally relent, officially recognizing Indonesia’s Independence in 1950.

Jakarta, located on the north coast of western Java is the capital of the Republic of Indonesia. It is the seat of government, and center of business and finance. A large, modern metropolitan city with a population of 9 million people, Jakarta is a melting pot of all different ethnic groups in the archipelago.

Today, after six decades of freedom, Indonesia has become the third largest democracy in the world. Despite facing today’s global financial crisis, the country has managed to show positive economic growth, and is internationally respected for her moderate, tolerant yet religious stance in today’s global conflict among civilizations. 

Source: www.indonesia.travel

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