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Chairman of the Indonesia National Air Carriers Association (INACA) Denon Prawiraatmadja (left) and Chairman of the Indonesian Hotels and Restaurants Association (PHRI) Hariyadi Sukamdani (right) after the signing of the cooperation agreement in Badung, Bali on Saturday (Aug 29, 2020). ANTARA/Naufal

The Indonesian Hotels and Restaurants Association (PHRI) and the Indonesia National Air Carriers Association (INACA) agreed on offering affordable and safe tour packages to facilitate recovery of the tourism industry impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

"The increased traffic of air passengers and hotel occupancy will boost the economy in tourist destination areas after dropping sharply in the past few months owing to the COVID-19 pandemic," PHRI Chairman Hariyadi Sukamdani stated at the signing of the agreement between INACA and PHRI in Badung District, Bali, on Saturday.

Sukamdani noted that the agreement is part of the Safe Travel Campaign conducted by the two associations in the past month.

The PHRI chairman noted that the efforts to increase the number of air passengers and hotel occupancy in tourism destinations should lay emphasis on two issues.

"First, public confidence to fly again can be increased by applying health protocols. Second, in terms of pricing, it must be affordable," he stated.

Sukamdani admitted that the pandemic had dealt a major blow to the economy in regions depending on the tourism sector, including Bali.

"Bali has a total of 140 thousand hotel rooms. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, 80 percent of the hotels were closed. As a consequence, Bali's economy was hit the hardest, clocking minus 10.98 percent in the second quarter," he stated.

Sukamdani has also urged the local government to support the moves taken by the two associations by offering tax relaxation for hotel and airline operators.

The PHRI will also work closely with health authorities to offer health facilities at tourism destinations.

"It would not be impossible to change work from home and school from home into work from hotel and school from the hotel during holidays," Sukamdani pointed out.

INACA Chairman Denon Prawiraatmadja remarked that the association members can hold business-to-business discussions with the PHRI members on the implementation of the agreement.

Prawiraatmadja noted that INACA will continue to conduct the Safe Travel Campaign at several tourism destination areas across the country. He also called on airlines to prepare special health protocols for children. (ANTARA)

Jakarta (VOI News) - The Indonesian Broadcasting Commission (KPI) in collaboration with the Ministry of Women's Empowerment and Child Protection (KPPPA) again gave awards to child-friendly television and radio programs through the 2020 Child-Friendly Broadcasting Award (APRA). Minister of Women Empowerment and Child Protection (PPPA) I Gusti Ayu Bintang Puspayoga in her virtual remarks at the 2020 Child-Friendly Broadcasting Award (APRA), Saturday (29/8), said that children have human rights that must be fulfilled just like adults. She also gave her appreciation to the Indonesia Broadcasting Commission (KPI) for holding the award for the child-friendly television and radio.

"So I really appreciate the 2020 child-friendly broadcasting award, which is an award event for broadcasters that provide weighty and educational shows for children. In the midst of the sluggish segmentation of children on television and radio broadcasts, of course, this activity is expected to motivate broadcasters to continuously produce child-friendly programs both in terms of quantity and quality," said I Gusti Ayu Bintang Puspayoga. 

Previously, KPI Commissioner Mimah Susanti in a virtual press conference in Jakarta, Saturday (29/08) said that even in pandemic conditions, the Indonesian Broadcasting Commission still held the Child-Friendly Broadcasting Award (APRA) as a form of appreciation for the contribution of broadcasting institutions in presenting good quality programs. for children.

"With all its limitations, the Indonesia Broadcasting Commission (KPI) still wants to give appreciation to programs, both to television and radio personnel, for quality children's programs. So we hope that with this situation of limitation, we still want Indonesian children, even though they spend all their time at home, can still be active and also be given good broadcasting programs," said Mimah Susanti.

This year's award has ten categories namely: Indonesian Children's Animation Program, Foreign Child Animation Program, Documentary Program, Variety Show Program, Feature Program, Indonesian Children's Education Program, Radio Children's Program, Child Care Radio Program 2020, Best Children Television Program, and Best Child-Friendly Television 2020. RRI Wamena won the Radio Children Program category through the Wamena Children Song and Learning program (LABEWA) while the 2020 Child Care Radio Program category was won by RRI Pontianak through the Children World program. (VOI / AHM)

Director general of marine spatial management at the Marine Affairs and Fisheries Ministry, Aryo Hanggono. (ANTARA/HO-KKP)

The Marine Affairs and Fisheries Ministry has declared Pieh Island in West Sumatra as a conservation area and migration route for sea mammals.

"Conservation of sea mammals’ habitat and migration route has been established in some areas, including at the Marine Tourism Park (TWP), Pieh Island," the ministry's director-general of marine spatial management, Aryo Hanggono, said in a statement in Jakarta on Saturday.

Hanggono said Indonesia has at least 33 species of cetaceans (whales and dolphins), or over a third of the total cetacean species found in the world.

The infraorder Cetacea is a key component in the food chain, along with other major predators, hence, any disturbance in its population affects the entire food chain, he noted.

"Considering these roles, we need to protect and preserve the existence of Cetacea, especially in Indonesian waters," he added.

The ministry has issued a ministerial regulation (no. 79/2018) on the national action plan for sea mammals in 2018-2022, which is aimed at protecting sea mammals, maintaining their stable population, and developing sustainable economic benefits from the species.

Head of the National Marine Conservation Area (LKKPN), Fajar Kurniawan, said sea mammals in Pieh Island have become a focus of conservation, in addition to coral reefs and turtles.

Data on sea mammal appearance in the last five years will be used as a basis for their management in the area, according to officials. (ANTARA)

A screenshot of Vice Foreign Minister Mahendra Siregar during a virtual seminar "Batik: Cultural Heritage and Creative Economic Asset of Indonesia" held at the Foreign Ministry on Friday (Aug 28, 2020). (ANTARA/Suwanti)

The diplomatic education curriculum will feature batik as a subject as part of the Foreign Ministry’s endeavors to strengthen and sharpen Indonesian batik diplomacy abroad, Vice Foreign Minister Mahendra Siregar stated.

"Batik subject will especially be included in the module or curriculum of diplomatic education," he remarked during a virtual seminar "Batik: Cultural Heritage and Creative Economic Asset of Indonesia" held at the Foreign Ministry on Friday.

"That has become (our) commitment, and a team of the education and training center along with experts are in the process of drafting it," he noted.

The Foreign Ministry has, since long, introduced batik in foreign countries. In 2008, Indonesia had launched a campaign to rally support for the nomination for batik's inscription into UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

UNESCO officially declared batik as an intangible cultural heritage on October 2, 2009. National Batik Day has been observed annually ever since.

In the run-up to the 11th National Batik Day, the Foreign Ministry has been readying several activities to intensify batik promotion since batik is an integral part of the Indonesian diplomacy.

"We would like to strengthen and sharpen an integrated promotion or marketing program. Although we have, so far, conducted promotion programs, they are sometimes incidental," he stated.

“The ministry will also directly contribute to responding to the needs of Indonesian batik producers and craftsmen in the wake of the pandemic," Siregar noted.  (ANTARA)