Illustration : Tourist visiting Kelimutu lake -
The Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy/Tourism and Creative Economy Agency (Kemenparekraf/Baparekraf) held a Familiarization Trip (FAM Trip) for _influencers_ from India as an effort to boost foreign tourist arrivals (tourists), especially for the country's market to Indonesia.
Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy/Head of the Tourism and Creative Economy Agency (Menparekraf/Kabaparekraf) Sandiaga Salahuddin Uno, in his statement in Jakarta, Sunday (24/6/2023) explained that India is one of the contributors to foreign tourists to Indonesia and so far tourists from India like Bali as their wedding destination.
In general, wedding organizer industry players in India consider Bali to be very suitable for Indian tourists because it has similar artistic and cultural tendencies.
"This activity is a collaboration between the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy with Singapore Airlines and Garuda Indonesia airlines which will focus on promoting 5 Super Priority Destinations (DSP).
With various strategic steps carried out with partners to promote Indonesia, it is hoped that this will encourage economic revival, create jobs, and open up the widest possible business opportunities," said Menparekraf Sandiaga Uno.
According to a release received by Voice of Indonesia on Saturday, this effort is also a follow-up to Indonesia's participation in the international tourism exhibition South Asia's Travel & Tourism Exchange (SATTE) 2023 in New Delhi in February 2023.
At that time the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy brought along industry players from Labuan Bajo who offered tour packages to the public in Indonesia.
And on the FAM Trip this collaboration will also introduce Labuan Bajo as a world-class destination to the Indian _influencers_ who are participating.
Deputy for Marketing for the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy, Ni Made Ayu Marthini, said the FAM Trip was held from 24 to 29 June 2023 in Labuan Bajo. Participants who participated consisted of 3 travel influencers from India, namely Anupriya (IG @anupriyakapur), Rashmi Chadha (IG @rashmichadha), and Mahi Sharma (IG @maahieway).
According to him, Bali has become _top of mind_ for Indian tourists when traveling to Indonesia. Therefore, the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy wants to introduce another destination that is no less interesting to them, namely Labuan Bajo which is one of the Super Priority Tourism Destinations.
"Through this FAM Trip, we want to convey a message so that foreign tourists, especially from India, can add Labuan Bajo destinations to their trips to Indonesia. It's very easy to get there, you can go through Jakarta directly to Labuan Bajo by taking a two-hour flight, not even an hour by plane from Bali," said Made.
The segmentation of many Indian tourists visiting Indonesia includes couples, families, millennials, and gen Z who are considered suitable for Labuan Bajo destinations with a choice of exotic places, various activities, and various types of accommodation ranging from homestays to luxury resorts.
Ni Made added that the implementation of the FAM Trip this time was supported by various parties, namely Plataran Komodo Resort & Spa, Sea Safari Cruise, Meruorah Labuan Bajo, Grand Komodo Tours, and Anara Airport Hotel Terminal 3 Soekarno-Hatta Airport.
FAM Trip participants arrived in Indonesia on 24 June 2023 and spent the night at Anara Airport Hotel Terminal 3 to continue their flight to Labuan Bajo the next day. It is hoped that the waiting area which is very wide and varied, complete facilities, and the availability of a 4-star hotel, namely Anara Airport Hotel, will convey the message that Terminal 3 is a convenient airport for transit.
In Labuan Bajo, participants will visit the Komodo National Park area with a live on board experience aboard the Sea Safari Cruise Phinisi Sea Safari VII. With this Phinisi, they will visit several destinations, namely Padar Island, Komodo Island, Pink Beach, and Taka Makassar.
Furthermore, participants will be invited to explore the Wae Rebo Tourism Village with a tour package prepared by Grand Komodo Tours. One of the highest villages in Indonesia with an altitude of 1200 meters above sea level and nicknamed the village above the clouds is the right choice for Indian tourists from the millennial and generation Z segments who like adventure.
As a village that has won the 2012 UNESCO Asia Pacific Heritage Awards, of course a challenging trip will pay off with the beauty of the village surrounded by mountains and valleys.
While in Labuan Bajo, participants will also experience a stay that will definitely be memorable. Labuan Bajo is currently very ready to be visited by foreign tourists, this can be seen by the availability of various types of accommodation, from homestays, star hotels to luxury resorts.
Participants will stay at Plataran Komodo Resort & Spa which will provide a unique experience in the form of a _resort_ by the sea with amazing views. At Plataran, _influencers_ will also experience the feel of having breakfast accompanied by _sunrise_ and stunning views of Labuan Bajo.
In addition, participants will also stay at Meruorah Labuan Bajo which is the venue for the ASEAN Summit in May 2023. Apart from good standard hotel facilities, exotic views of the waters of the Flores Sea are also the belle of Meruorah.
It seems to be a gateway to adventure exploring the islands around Labuan Bajo. The _influencer_ participants will share their experiences and excitement during their trip in Labuan Bajo with their _followers_ in India by uploading them to social media and it is hoped that this will inspire potential tourists from India to travel in Indonesia, especially Labuan Bajo//VOI
Climate Ambition to Achieve Indonesia Gold 2045 -
Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment (Menko Marves) Luhut B. Pandjaitan attended the Indonesia Net-Zero Summit 2023 and gave directions regarding "Climate Ambition to Achieve Indonesia Gold 2045" on Saturday (24-06-2023).
"Over the last 2-3 years, the Government of Indonesia has issued various policies and shown concrete commitment regarding climate issues," said Coordinating Minister Luhut.
Indonesia is actively creating international cooperation platforms in decarbonization and energy transition efforts, including through Indonesia's cooperation in the Just Energy Transition Program (JETP).
According to a release received by Voice of Indonesia on Saturday, Indonesia will continue to promote economic growth while in line with decarbonization efforts to achieve net zero.
"Indonesia has 5 main pillars to achieve this, namely industrialization, digitalization, economic distribution, decarbonization and interconnection," said Coordinating Minister Luhut.
One of them, the government is currently encouraging the transition from vehicle use to Battery-Based Electric Motor Vehicles (KBLBB), including the development of related industries. Indonesia also has great potential as a carbon storage center with a large storage capacity.
With these various indicators, it shows that Indonesia is on the right track to become a developed country. The strategy is expected to increase economic growth in a sustainable and fair manner.
"Indonesia has abundant natural resources and important economic potential for the world. Therefore, Indonesia welcomes synergistic international cooperation in economic development and decarbonization," concluded Coordinating Minister Luhut//VOI
The Assistant for Governance and People's Welfare for Badung Regency, I Nyoman Sujendra -
Literacy in a global context is implemented with innovation and creativity in order to produce products that are competitive in the global market.
This was conveyed by the Assistant for Governance and People's Welfare for Badung Regency, I Nyoman Sujendra, during a talk show on Increasing the Community Literacy Index (PILM) for Welfare at the Giri Natha Mandala Cultural Building, Saturday (24/6/2023).
“The literacy indicator is different from the love of reading. That is, if we go deep into what we read and according to needs, then provide knowledge that can be implemented in practice for the collective interest," he said.
Nyoman also said that a passion for reading to improve literacy had become a priority target for the Badung government. If instilled early on, the habit of reading will have a broad impact on people's lives.
The head of the National Library, Muhammad Syarif Bando, confirmed that literacy is not only about reading and writing. High-power literacy is useful in winning global competition. Literacy is born with knowledge.
For example, Indonesia has abundant natural resources which can be of great value if the human resources have knowledge and skills that are continuously trained.
"Developed countries have the principle that with knowledge they can continue to develop, even without abundant natural resources. Therefore, they rely heavily on knowledge," he said.
Meanwhile, the Deputy for Library Resources, Adin Bondar, reinforced the fact that the tourism sector in Bali can explore its potential by constructing community literacy skills.
Adin believes that people with high literacy are able to solve various problems, such as reducing poverty, youth mortality, stunting, and improving the nation's economy.
"Libraries as an open space play a role in building knowledge-based behavior. The higher the level of literacy, the better the prosperity of a nation," he explained.
According to academician Ida Bagus Purwa Sidemen, literacy is closely related to culture. The majority of Balinese people who are Hindus consider nature as the center of knowledge and humans as the center of the universe that must be properly looked after.
As a literacy activist, Mumtazah Mardiliyah reminded that apart from culture, history is also needed to know identity as it is in the Bangsal Perjuangan Monument.
According to a release received by Voice of Indonesia on Saturday, the Badung Regency Library so far has provided mobile library services, and Pustaka Gita (a social media platform for accessing e-books and building a reader network/community).
Other support provided included training in making spices, making Tabya Tuh chili sauce (Balinese chili powder), and make-up.
The PILM activity was coupled with the inauguration of the Pusaka (Nusantara Manuscript Center) for Mangutama Literature, the inauguration of Student Literacy Ambassadors for Elementary and Middle School Levels, and awards to districts with high levels of reading interest//VOI
Commemoration of International Women's Day in the Engineering Field (INWED) 2023 -
Australian Ambassador to Indonesia Penny Williams PSM met with engineers today leading Indonesian women to highlight the contribution of women in the infrastructure sector.
Speaking at the commemoration of International Women's Day in the Engineering Field (INWED) 2023 in Jakarta, Duta Besar Williams said, "INWED is an opportunity to recognize the achievements of engineers women and promote gender equality in infrastructure development."
The event also marks the 70th anniversary of Australian Scholarships in Indonesia – a highlight strong bilateral relations between the two countries.
"Australia Awards scholarships in Indonesia have played an important role in strengthening ties between community and improve the ability of Indonesian experts. We are very happy to have highlighting the contribution of Australian alumni in the infrastructure sector," said Ambassador Williams.
Ir Diana Kusumastuti, Director General of Cipta Karya - Ministry of Public Works and Housing People, became the main speaker in this event. He shared his experience as an engineer who leads the formulation of policies and implementation of public infrastructure in the sector water and sanitation.
According to a release received by Voice of Indonesia on Tuesday Night, the event was organized by the Indonesia-Australia Partnership for Infrastructure (KIAT) and was well attended key government stakeholders, Australian alumni in Indonesia, and experts in infrastructure sector. Event attendees listened to two panel discussions under the global INWED theme 2023 is "#MakeSafetySeen".
The Australian Government is committed to promoting and supporting gender equality advancement of women in engineering and infrastructure through KIAT.
KIAT is a partnership between the Australian and Indonesian governments to support growth a sustainable and inclusive economy through developing access to infrastructure for everyone.
KIAT works together with the government and the community, providing technical assistance for developing policies, financing and provision of infrastructure in the road sector, mobility cities, water and sanitation//VOI