JAK JAZZ Festival Features Foreign Musicians

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The Jakarta International Jazz Festival (Jak Jazz) 2008 scheduled from November 28 to 30 at Jakarta`s Senayan sports stadium featured several foreign musicians on the first day. The foreign musicians taking part on the first day (Friday) of the tenth Jak Jazz festival were among others Ray Harris (United Kingdom), Kyoto Jazz Massive (Japan), Lica Secato (Brazil), and Michelle Nicolle Quartet (Australia).

Local musicians included Tompi, Maliq & D`Essentials, The Salamander Big Band, Funk Section, "Just The 3 of Us" (Vonny Sumlang, Rien Jamain, Mawar) and Zarro. Rain which fell at the location on the first day of the Jak Jazz had caused the music performance on an open stage to be delayed by a few hours.

The Jak Jazz organizing committee povided eight stages for the musicians, three in the building and five outside, but on the first day, Jazz-show goers did not look so enthusiastic. "I think more jazz loving people will come on the third day of the festival, when the `Yellow Jackets` and ten collaboration of the Indonesian singers will perform," Zein (35), a jazz lover, said.

However, when Tompi came on the stage of the "Skyline Terrace", located in the east wing of the building, he drew a big crowd of music lovers. On the occasion, Tompi sang several Indonesian and foreign songs, including an English song titled "Love". In addition, the Office of State Minister for the Environment, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Indonesia and the Jakarta International Jazz Festival (JakJazz) 2008 were popularizing the message on enviromentally-friendly life styles to the people.

Ireng Maulana, a senior jazz musician who is also a founder and chairman of the Jakarta International Jazz Festival said that the synergy among the fighters for the environment in Indonesia was important to Jakjazz. "We are sure that jazz musicians` inspiration in creating their work will be ever enriched if nature is conserved continuously. Therefore, we decided that Jakjazz 2008 waould carry the theme `Love the Earth` to popularize the environment and nature conservation messages to the Indonesian people," Ireng said.

With the cooperation, he said, JakJazz2008 was ready to be made a means by the Office of the State Minister for the Environment and WWF Indonesia to make the people especially jazz lovers in Indonesia aware of the environment. (*)

Source: ANTARA NEWS

RI President Asks Ministers to Maintain Conducive Situation

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has asked the members of his cabinet to continue maintaining a conducive situation in the country in order to keep the national economy moving.

"The president gave directives in which he stressed the importance of maintaining a conducive situation at home to keep the national economy moving," Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs (Polhukam) Widodo AS said after attending a plenary cabinet session at the presidential office here on Thursday evening.

In line with the President`s directives, Widodo said, his ministry had already taken a number of steps to maintain a conducive situation at home.

"One of the efforts we have made is the campaign against thugs by the National Police," Widodo said in the company of Social Affairs Minister Bachtiar Chamsyah, National Police Chief Gen Bambang Hendarso Danuri, Industry Minister Fahmi Idris, Manpower and Transmigration Minister Erman Suparno, Home Affairs Minister Mardiyanto, and Bank Indonesia Governor Boediono.

He said two outstanding points related to Polhukam were discussed in the cabinet session which lasted from 2 pm until 9 pm on Thursday. "The first item concerned developments in the Teluk Naga thermal power plant case, and the second item was the workers rallies demanding a review of the joint decree (SKB) of four ministers on manpower affairs," Widodo said. (*)

Source: Antara News

RI's MICE Seek Boost in Popularity

The first Indonesian MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conventions and Exhibitions) and Corporate Travel Mart meeting in Bali this December is expected to boost the island's profile for future convention events, leaders say.

Head of the event organizing committee in Denpasar, Panca Rudolf Sarungu, said Thursday that the three-day event, to be held from Dec. 3 to 6, would facilitate meetings among corporations, travel agencies, resorts and MICE area managers.

"It will further boost the confidence of our MICE facilitators," Panca said.

He said many MICE facilitators were missing out on large event opportunities when there is much on offer in terms of resorts and convention facilities on the island.

"We can certainly compete with foreign companies offering similar services in other countries," he said.

Panca said an event of this nature in Bali would ensure participation from as many industry players as possible, similar to the large numbers at last year's United Nations Framework Convention for Climate Change.

"That means more business opportunities for local companies," he said.

Industry predictions suggest that if more large scale meetings take place in Bali, the island could become a preferable destination for future conventions.

"The trend of the business continues to rise from year to year. It has excellent prospects."

Data shows that income streams in local economies can increase by up to six times when a province hosts a convention of this magnitude.He said Bali was chosen to host the meeting because of its world class reputation, especially among Asian countries.Organizers plan to hold the event annually but move the location each time around.The 2008 MICE and Corporate Travel Mart meeting will involve 140 resorts, convention organizers and MICE facilitators. It allows buyers and sellers to meet face to face and discuss trade in open discussion sessions.

Panca expects at least 100 multinational companies, mostly members of the American Express Corporate Business but also from Singapore and Hong Kong, to attend the meeting as buyers.There are 9,000 scheduled business sessions throughout the first day, while the second will see 1,000 travel agents from across Indonesia come together in a trade-visitor session.Nia Niscaya, director of MICE from the Culture and Tourism Ministry, expressed her support for the event, saying that it was a good expression of public and private partnership between the government and the tourism industry.She encouraged organizers to continue reminding local companies to promote their MICE facilities to foreign buyers. She said the global financial crisis could be the opportune moment to promote Indonesia as a relatively cheap destination compared to other countries.Nia encouraged organizers to make the convention an annual event to help promote 2009 as the Ministry's MICE year.

Djinaldi Gosana, executive director of the Bali Hotels Association (BHA), said the event could further increase Bali's chances for the "Best Island" award.BHA, which oversees 88 star hotels in the island, is currently discussing the creation of a Bali Convention Bureau."We hope to get it done soon because forming the bureau will be important in the immediate future," he said.

by Wasti Atmodjo , The Jakarta Post

The Branding Concept of Visit Indonesia Year 2008 (Logo)

Taken from the source [www.budpar.go.id] - the logo has its branding concepts, as follows:

The figure of Visit Indonesian Year 2008 branding took the concept of Garuda Pancasila as the Indonesian way of life, but it was performed by perfectly modern approach. The 5 (five) norms draw by 5 different colored lines and symbolized the Indonesian the Unity Diversity. This logo brand formulated into dynamic figure and colors as the implementation of Indonesian Dynamic which is developing. The types of letters of logo brand is driven from the Indonesian elements which perfectly by modern approach.

Indonesian Pianists Attract Large Audiences in Hungary

London (ANTARA News) - The performance of Indonesian duo-pianists Iravati Sudiarso and daugter Aisha Sudiarso has attracted west classic and Indonesian music lovers in Queen Erszebet`s Palace, Godollo city, Hungary, an official said.First secretary of socio-cultural affairs at Indonesia`s Embassy in Hungary, Arena Sri Victoria, said here Tuesday that the duo-pianists did not only play art works composed by Indonesian composers but also international ones.Among the art works performed on the show were Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart`s "Sonata in C Major no. 16" and Anton Arensky`s "Waltz from Suite for two pianos no.1 Opus 15".Moreover, Arena explained that the concert was jointly held by the Indonesian Embassy in Budapest, Hungary`s capital city, and the mayor of Godollo city, Dr Gemesi Gyorgy who had recently signed an agreement on sister city cooperation with Bogor city, Indonesia.Also attending the show were Indonesia`s ambassador to Hungary, Mangasi Sihombing. In his opening remark, the ambasador marked the rise of Indonesia and Hungary`s relations especially in the cultural sector. He considered the activity constituted an effort made by the two countries to maintain good bilateral relations in all sectors.The two pianists opened their performance with Mozart`s work, and continued it with the very dynamic music from Camille Saint-Saens` work entitled "Rondo Capricciosso Opus 28".Furthermore, the mother and daughter artists were also playing Indonesian composers` works such as Amir Pasaribu`s "Gending-Gending Sriwijaya" and "Sriwijaya variations". Arena said that the show managed to draw attention from the audience that consisted of diplomats, music lovers, community leaders in Hungary and the press.She said Indonesia`s ambassador praised the performance and said that Indonesian music had its own characteristic though played in such west instruments as piano.

Source: ANTARA NEWS

Indonesia Tourism Industry is Still Waiting to Rebound

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Indonesia, a vast archipelago nation with the world's second-longest shoreline, has consistently underachieved in the tourism sector and 2008 is proving no exception. "The global economic crisis has started to have an impact," said Sapta Nirwandar, director-general for marketing at the Culture and Tourism Ministry. "With the looming crisis, I'm afraid we will not have the expected peak of foreign tourist arrivals in December," Nirwandar said, referring to the usual end-of-the-year surge of tourists to the tropical isles. Despite record-breaking tourism numbers at Indonesia's prime beach resort of Bali, the country will again miss this year's overall target for foreign visitors, he predicted.

Due to the global economic downturn, the government has revised down its targets for 2008 foreign tourist arrivals to "realistic figures" of around 6.4 million, from initial goal of 7 million. According to the National Statistics Agency, the three quarters spanning January to September brought nearly 4.6 million tourists, a 12.2 per cent increase from the same period of 2007, or 4.1 million. Indonesia's tourism industry has been hit by a string of calamities over the past five years, ranging from bomb attacks in Bali and Jakarta, to tsunamis and earthquakes, and outbreaks of bird flu and SARS respiratory disease.

Travel warnings issued by several countries have also taken a toll. 2008 began on good footing, until the latest catastrophe - the financial meltdown in the US and Europe - struck. "Bali this year had a record number of arrivals and was projected to have its strongest year ever, until the recent financial situation, and we have also been impacted by the recent executions of the Bali bombers," said Darryl Marsden, general manager of the Hard Rock Hotel Bali. Bali hotels are reportedly enjoying 90 per cent occupancy rates this November and December. Bali, the gem of Indonesia's tourism industry, was hard hit by the 2003 bombings that killed up to 200 people, many of them Australian tourists, followed by another suicide bombing in 2005.

"The outlook for Bali's tourism industry remains positive," Ida Bagus Ngurah Wijaya, head of the Bali's tourism board, told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa. "The main issue in Bali is security. As long as security is being guaranteed, there will be more and more foreign visitors to Bali in 2009."But no one knows to what extent the financial crisis will impact the island. "Our peak season doesn't actually start until June, so it's hard to say with any certainty what's going to happen in February, March and April," said Marsden.

The sprawling nation of more than 17,000 tropical islands, teeming with coral reefs, exotic wildlife, volcanoes and inland waterways, is a nature lover's paradise. Istijab Danunegoro, chairman of the Indonesian Hotel and Restaurant Association chapter in Yogyakarta, the Javanese cultural capital that is another prime tourist destination, foresees a slowdown in arrivals next year but still predicts growth. "With a better cooperation among related parties and better promotion, the outlook for tourism remains positive," Istijab said, projecting tourist arrivals to increase by about 10 per cent in 2009. Cultural and Tourism Minister Jero Wacik has also called for greater cooperation within the sector, given its huge capacity to create employment and reduce poverty.

"This industry needs interactive efforts between all parties concerned - the government, tourist players as well as the public," Wacik told the Indonesian daily Kompas. He acknowledged that the country is losing some tourists to neighbouring countries, partly because of limited promotion funds, inadequate transport and infrastructure, and a lack of professional guides. "Domestic airlines have so far still been unable to cover the requirement of transporting tourists to the destinations," the tourism minister said. "Moreover, when the Visit Indonesia program again rolled out this year, not many domestic airlines and hotel operators welcomed this."

Source: ANTARA NEWS

Indonesian Government Asks Bloggers to Promote Tourism in Indonesia

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Indonesian Culture and Tourism minister Jero Wacik has asked the blogger community to help promote Indonesia`s tourist sites among the international public. In a prepared speech read by a senior tourism official at a Blogger Party 2008 here Saturday, the minister said ,”The second blogger party will stimulate online network growth in Indonesia. It can make blogs a more effective media to promote tourism.” He said almost all human activities now involve internet facilities so that this type of media was an effective vehicle to promote Indonesia`s tourism.

“Today, almost all human activities are closely related to the on-line media. It is necessary to put the mission to promote tourism,” he said, adding that he hoped bloggers from foreign countries like Australia, the US and Malaysia can also publicize Indonesia`s tourism sites. “Coinciding with the Indonesia Visit Year 2008 program, we try to make breakthroughs in promoting tourism, including through the online media,” said Wacik.

Meanwhile, Director General of the Telemathics Application of the Communication and Information Ministry, Cahyana Ahmadijaya, said that blogging had developed from “blogfun” to “blogprenuer” and could still develop into other aspects of social signifiance. “We have set October 27 as National Blogger Day. This will be the start of digital community development in Indonesia,” Ahmadijaya said. “The government has given the freedom to people to make blogs. However, we still must abide by existing regulations,” State Minister for Research and Technology Kusmayanto Kadiman said.

“The development of blogging is closely related to technological development. Blogs nowadays do not only play a role in the technology sector but also in the economic and even political sectors,” he said, adding blogs were complementing, not replacing, the existing information media.

Source: ANTARA NEWS