Indonesia Tourism Records Faster Growth Than Other SEA Countries/jean

Source: Kemenpar

Indonesia's tourism sector has grown significantly in the first quarter, much faster compared with Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand.

In January-April, 5.79 million foreign visits were recorded in Singapore � a 4.4 percent increase from 2016 � the Business Times said on its website on June 24.

Singapore had 1.1 million Chinese visitors and 968,000 Indonesian. The visits from Indonesia, however, are expected to decline with the strengthening of the Singapore dollar. "The strengthening of the dollar is expected to last until the end of the year," Cushman & Wakefield research director Christine Li said in a statement on Tuesday (04/07).

The slow growth has also affected Singapore's hotel industry.

The growth in Malaysia has been even slower. Xinhua News Agency reported on June 8 that the number of tourists visiting Indonesia's neighbor dropped by 0.5 percent.
Thailand has also experienced a drop in the number of visits, with 12.02 million foreigners arriving to the country in the first four months, up 2.91 percent from the same period last year, TTR Weekly reported in the end of May.

According to data data from the Central Statistics Agency (BPS), Indonesia recorded a 19.34 increase in the number of visits between January and April.
In the first quarter, 4.2 million foreign tourists visited the country, with 1.14 million in April alone � 26.75 percent up from April 2016. (JakartaGlobe)

Tourists injured for panic chaos in Dieng crater eruption/jean

Source: nunusdwinugroho.wordpress.com

Some visitors of Sileri Crater in Dieng Tourism area of Banjarnegara District, Central Java Province were injured due to chaos situation after some people panicked as the crater erupted on Sunday afternoon.

The Public Relation officer of Central Java Police Senior Commissioner Djarod Padakova said the tourists suffered minor injuries after trying to save themselves in a chaos situation.

"Some people were injured due to falling when running away," Padakova said.

He added there are some visitors who exposed to mud splashes.

According to Padakova, the mud is not hot mud flow.

The victims are being treated at Batur Public Health-care Center.

Previously, a phreatic explosion occurred in Sileri Crater of Dieng Plateau Tourism Area at Banjarnegara District.

The eruption is noted to reach as high as 50 meters and occurred at 12.00 local time.

The eruption was said reach as far as the waterboom parking lot. (Antara)

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Barack Obama and family enjoys rafting on Ayung River, Bali/jean

Former US President Barack Obama and family in Ayung River, Bongkasa Village, Badung Regency, Bali, Senin (26/6/2017). (ANTARA FOTO/Wira Suryantala)

Former US president Barack Obama enjoyed rafting down the Ayung River, which is a popular tourist spot in Bali, Indonesia.

Barack and Michelle Obama, along with their daughters Sasha and Malia, arrived at Banjar Dinas Karang Dalem I, Bongkasa Pertiwi Village, Abiansemal Sub-district, Badung District, at 11 am local time on Monday.

The location is a starting point for the rafting expedition.

Several police and military officers secured the site.

Obama was spotted wearing a white T-shirt, sunglasses, a red velvet jacket, and a yellow helmet.

On the occasion, Michelle and her daughters were spotted paddling down the Ayung River.

The rafting ended at the rear side of the Four Seasons Hotel in Sayan Village, Ubud, a hotel near the Ayung River, where Obama and his family are staying.

Obama and his family had earlier visited the Agung Rai Museum of Arts in Ubud and the Jatiluwih rice fields.

The family took a walk through the lush green Jatiluwih rice terrace, a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization World Heritage. (Antara)

Obama arrives in Bali/jean

Obama dan Michelle Obama (Jonathan Ernst/Reuters)

Former United States president Barack Obama arrived in Bali on Friday evening for a family vacation. His Gulfstream G-V N50JE aircraft landed at I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport in Bali at 6.52 p.m. local time, or a bit late from its initial schedule of 5.55 p.m.

Wearing a blue T-shirt, blue jeans and white sneakers, Obama was seen relaxed and smiling when he embarked from the plane, witnesses reported. Meanwhile, former First Lady Michelle Obama, who wore a white T-shirt and blue jeans walked by his side. Obama's daughters, Malia and Sasha, also joined the vacation.

Journalists did not have access to cover Obama's arrival at the airport as requested by the former US president's advance team.
Only four officials welcomed Obama at Ngurah Rai Airport, namely Bali Governor Made Mangku Pastika, Ngurah Rai Military Air Force Base commander Col. I Wayan Superman, 9^th regional military command (Kodam IX) Udayana commander Maj. Gen. Komarudin Simanjuntak and Denpasar Police chief Sr. Comr. Hadi Purnomo, who represented Bali Police chief Insp. Gen. Petrus Reinhard Golose

Obama left Ngurah Rai Airport for Ubud at 7.17 p.m., with an VVIP escort comprising Indonesian Military and National Police personnel and his advance team.

Arie Ahsanurrohin, communications and legal head of state airport operator Angkasa Pura I at I Gusti Ngurah Rai Airport, said clearance processes by the airport�s Customs and Immigration authorities took too long.

�In line with standard operating procedures, customs officers must check all luggage. It took time," Arie said.

Obama briefly engaged in small talk with local officials welcoming him. Obama and his family also posed for photos with the officials before leaving the airport.
Arie said Obama�s arrival did not affect the airport�s flight schedules. Obama will vacation in Bali until June 28, then head to Yogyakarta and Jakarta. (JakartaPost)

Former US president Obama to arrive on Bali this afternoon/jean

Four Seasons Hotel at Sayan, Ubud

Former US president Barack Obama is scheduled to arrive on Bali this afternoon to start a five-day vacation with his family on the resort island. Obama's aircraft will be arriving at the Bali airport at 5:55 p.m. from Guam.

Ngurah Rai Military Air Base commander Col. I Wayan Superman said standard VVIP security measures would be enforced during the landing of Obama's aircraft at the airport.

�There will be no airport closure [for other flights]. However, we will give priority to his plane," Superman said. 

Superman said that he had coordinated with the advance US team, which indicated that Obama had refused the offer of any special treatment during his visit.

Superman said the Indonesian authorities would ensure Obama�s arrival would have minimal impact on other flights at the airport. 

Obama will come with his wife Michelle Obama, their daughters Malia and Sasha, and other Obama family members. He will also bring several special security staff members with him. 

From the airport, Obama will go straight to the Four Seasons Resort Bali at Sayan, Ubud where he will be staying. The five-star hotel offers a green view over rice fields inside the hotel complex. The hotel restaurant also offers a view over the Ayung River. (JakartaPost)

Tourism Ministry signs MoU on Halal Wonders/jean

Masjid Demak (Source: Wikipedia)

The Tourism Ministry and the Indonesian Mosque Council (DMI) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on Halal Wonders, witnessed by Vice President Jusuf Kalla here on Thursday.

MoU on Halal Wonders is a religious tourism development program that would integrate tourism destination with the nearest mosque in a region using internet-based application.

"One out of three people in the world make a tour for their beliefs. We have the potential of halal tourism," Tourism Minister Arif Yahya said.

However, he outlined that such a huge potential is yet to be explored optimally in Indonesia, as none of Indonesian mosques were on the list of "worlds 10 most beautiful mosques" by the World Tourism Organization (WTO).

"We have crowd in mosques, but sadly we could not use the economic values in those mosques," he stated.

According to WTO, religious tourism has two values that would need to be developed, namely spiritual and economical values.

"Everything is managed with information technology, and all people would seek something with practical and accessible technology," he added.

The signing ceremony was also attended by representatives from Indonesias Syaria Economy Society, Indonesian Halal Travel Association, Indonesias Halal Product Association, and Association of Indonesian Hajj and Umrah Operator.(Antara)