The Indonesian Central Bureau for Statistics announced that during the four months from January through April 2015, the country received a total 3,048,170 international arrivals, a growth of 3.44 per cent as compared to the same period last year, which recorded 2,947,684 visitors.
Amongst Indonesia’s major entry ports, highest growth and highest number of arrivals, was recorded in Bali, having received 1,226,473 tourists, showing a double-digit growth of 12.07 per cent.
International arrivals at the ferry terminals on the island of Batam also showed positive increase of 7.44 per cent, having received 483,955 international visitors January to April 2015.
And this trend is here to stay for the rest of the year, as confirmed by Yusup Fahmi, head of promotion for Middle East markets. We met with him when he was in town in Dubai for a Wonderful Indonesia roadshow in collaboration with Al Rais Tours & Holidays.
“Arrival from the Middle East is growing steadily, with the maximum footfall coming from Saudi Arabia, followed by Egypt and Bahrain. The UAE is set to catch up in a big way now that Emirates will connect Dubai to Bali on a direct, daily flight.”
One of the most popular islands in Indonesia with spectacular mountains and picturesque beaches, Bali is a leading tourist destination, as confirmed by Yusup. Jakarta, Surabaya and Bandung, the capital of West Java province, are the next levels of tourist exploration points.
“Wonderful Indonesia wants to attract people from the UAE during the summer holidays: June, July, August and September. The weather in Indonesia is quite favourable during the summer months compared to most of the GCC.”
BALI AND BEYOND
The archipelago of Indonesia is famous for the islands of Sumatra, Java, Kalimantan, Sulawesi, Maluku, Papua and of course, Bali.
Globally, a campaign called ‘Beyond Bali’ is gaining traction, where campaigns try to push tourism outside of Bali, explaining how Indonesia has a lot more to offer. “However, for the Middle East market, Bali is still very much an unexplored destination. Therefore, for this year, Indonesia’s strategy will be ‘Bali & Beyond’ instead.”
Most families from the GCC tend to explore Indonesia for six nights and seven days; Al Rais Tours & Holidays is promoting holiday packages in line with this expectation. There are honeymoon packages for six nights over a choice of two destinations: Jakarta and Bali, Jakarta and Bandung and Jakarta and Lombok. The family package over six nights and seven days takes you to Jakarta and Bali.
There have been some recent hotel openings in the country and the country’s airlines have signed some interesting deals. Here’s a quick overview:
THE RITZ-CARLTON BALI
The Ritz-Carlton, Bali opened earlier this year marking the brand’s grand return to the idyllic island as a unique, luxurious and locally inspired resort, set amidst the dramatic cliffs and pristine beaches of southern Bali.
Located in Sawangan, Nusa Dua, the property is set on 12.7 hectares of expansive and beautifully manicured beach-front and cliff-top land. With 313 hotel rooms, including 34 cliff top and ocean view villas, the luxury resort offers 180-degree unobstructed views of the Indian Ocean.
FAIRMONT JAKARTA
Fairmont Jakarta, part of the Fairmont Hotels & Resorts collection, opened its doors in the heart of Indonesia’s capital city earlier this year.
With views of the Jakarta skyline, the property is located in the centre of Senayan Square, a ‘one-stop’ complex in Jakarta’s Central Business District that combines high-end shopping, entertainment, offices and apartments. The hotel provides direct access to Sentral Senayan Office Towers, the 18-hole Senayan National Golf Club, Gelora Bung Karno sports arena and the Jakarta Convention Centre.
Fairmont Jakarta is the flagship hospitality brand in the prestigious development by Senayan Trikarya Sempana, a subsidiary of Kajima Overseas Asia. Its shopping hub, Plaza Senayan, attracts over a million visitors per month.
The new urban hotel features 380 guestrooms including Fairmont Gold accommodation, the brand’s exclusive ‘hotel within a hotel’ concept, and 108 Sky Suites, offering guests the best of both worlds: suite-style living in a five-star hotel with the comfort of home.
AIRLINE NEWS
Emirates launched a new daily service to the island of Bali, from last month. The non-stop service between Dubai and Bali will be operated by a Boeing 777-300ER aircraft in a two-class configuration. Since March 2013, the airline has been operating three non-stop flights daily from Jakarta to Dubai with a Boeing 777 aircraft.
Indonesia’s flag carrier Garuda Indonesia intends to purchase thirty 787-9 Dreamliners from Boeing, as well as up to thirty 737 MAX 8 aeroplanes. Indonesia’s third-largest carrier Sriwijaya Air also announced an order for two Next-Generation 737-900ER (Extended Range) airplanes during a signing ceremony.
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Blend art and luxury
The Chedi Club Tanah Gajah, Ubud, Bali, hidden among the lush undulating hills of Bali’s culture-rich highlands, should be on your to-do list. This private resort sits among thriving rice fields as far as the eye can see. Just outside the artists’ village of Ubud, the former estate of Hendra Hadiprana, one of Indonesia’s most respected art collectors, has been transformed into an intimate retreat with 20 individual villas, each one uniquely featuring original Balinese artworks from his collection.
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Bumi Duadari, the private retreat of noted Indonesian designer and art collector Hendra Hadiprana, owner of The Chedi Club Tanah Gajah, Ubud, Bali |
With the Art of Design package, guests now have the chance to express themselves through a paintbrush on canvas amidst Bumi Duadari’s tropical foliage in the heart of Ubud. The package includes four nights’ accommodation in a one-bedroom pool villa, butler service, Club benefits and an array of cultural activities including traditional dance performance Kecak, half day tour, and a two-hour art class.
Also included is a half-day Kintamani tour, about five hours of scenic drive through Tegallalang, the handicraft village and a Balinese coffee break at a coffee plantation. The journey continues to Tirtha Empul (a sacred bathing pool), Mount Kawi (at the brink of Pakerisan gorge, a holy place) and ends with a visit to Goa Gajah (Elephant Temple) to encounter the remains of Buddhist and Hindu sites – dated back to 11th century.
Staff reporter