Lombok Sumbawa Pearl Festival to begin July 8

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Tue, 06/28/2011

The Culture and Tourism Ministry and West Nusa Tenggara (NTB)'s culture and tourism agency will hold the Lombok Sumbawa Pearl Festival 2011 from July 8 to 10 in Mataram.

"This festival is aimed to increase the number of tourists to NTB,”  Sapta Nirwandar, a ministry directorate general, told a press conference on Tuesday.

“It is also part of the Visit Lombok Sumbawa 2012 program, launched by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono in 2009.”

NTB Governor Zainul Madji said the festival, which will be held in Hotel Legi Mataram, would build an image of NTB as a pearl producer.

The annual fiesta, the second after last year’s event, will present pearls-related events such as a pearl auction, exhibition and harvesting, and NTB arts and culture performances.

Zainul said he was sure that tourists would be enthusiastic to watch the festival.

"15 international companies have proposed to join and buy the pearls," said Zainul, adding last year's festival was attended by 11 companies.

Zainul said that a million tourists were expected to come in the festival, 60 percent of them would be locals.

The total number of foreign tourists in NTB between January and March in 2011 was 56,706, up from 54,145 in the same period of last year.  Domestic tourists visit to the province also grew to 108,786 in the first three months of this year from 84,169 last year.(aaa)