 |
Pope Francis and other religious leaders at the Vatican. Photograph: AP |
 |
| Seren Taun: Seren Taun---People march during the Seren Taun traditional ceremony at Oasir Eurih village, Bogor, on Saturday. Celebrating Seren Taun in respect of God as their harvest provider, has been avoided due to bad weather and pests.(JP/Nurhayati) |
 |
| Local villagers in Saddang, North Toraja, South Sulawesi, take part in a traditional burial procession called Mabadong, which involves animal sacrifice. (Antara/Sahrul Manda Tikupadang |
(Reuters) - The air travel chaos caused by a huge ash cloud from an Icelandic volcano has blown through to Asia, with hotels from Beijing to Singapore straining to accommodate thousands of stranded passengers.
Dozens of Europe-bound flights were canceled from Sydney to Tokyo and New Delhi, costing airlines millions of dollars in lost revenues and mounting hotel bills as distraught passengers braced for enforced stopovers of more than a week in Asia.
In Singapore, a major transit route for Europe-bound flights, 22 flights were canceled on early Saturday, Ivan Tan a spokesman for Changi Airport told Reuters, with more than 40 canceled since the disruption began.
"We don't know where to stay," said Dirk Kronewald, a German citizen. "Singapore hotels are full."
Singapore Airlines' said they were giving priority to elderly passengers and those with young children for hotel accommodation, but right now there were some shortages in Singapore hotels.
The airline was paying for two nights of hotel accommodation for affected passengers, for as much as S$300 per room a night, according to a pamphlet being distributed to passengers.
Mirjam, a Dutch national who was queuing at an airline counter with her husband Jules Vandamme and two dozen passengers, said the couple had to sleep at the airport late on Wednesday night before shifting to the nearby Crowne Hotel.
"One thousand people had to spend the night in the transit area" airline officials had told her, she said.
NO MORE NEW BOOKINGS
Cathay Pacific had canceled 29 flights so far since Thursday and said it would not be accepting new bookings to London, Paris, Frankfurt and Amsterdam for next the new few days.
"We encourage passengers not to go to the airport. For some passengers, who have already checked in, we have provided accommodation," a Cathay Pacific spokeswoman said.
"So far the situation seems to be OK. It's a global issue so passengers seems to be understanding," she added.
At least 70 flights out of India, most of them headed for various European destinations were canceled on Friday and authorities said they are staring at similar cancellations at the weekend as volcanic ash continued to cover many parts of Europe.
"We might be here for another week. We don't know," a tourist told Times Now news channel in Mumbai airport on Saturday.
Aviation industry officials reported a loss of at least $1 billion in revenues due to cancellation of flights to Europe, an AAI official told Reuters.
Chinese newspapers reported long lines at Beijing airport as passengers lined up to change their tickets, and airlines struggled to find enough hotel rooms for stranded customers.
"I will just go and try my luck," Ka Ka, a young local woman and office worker, who was scheduled to board a flight to Frankfurt to begin a long-planned European trip, told the Shanghai Daily in China.
"It's hard to imagine something like this, taking place thousands of miles away from your place, could actually disrupt your life and plans," she said.
Some foreign tourists had more pressing problems.
"Accommodation is an issue, but what's worse is that in a few days this group's visas will have expired," a guide for a group of Russian visitors told the newspaper. "They risk having to stay here illegally. I don't know what to do."
(Additional reporting by Harry Suhartono in Singapore, Ben Blanchard in Beijing and Jacqueline Wong in Shanghai, Bappa Majumdar in New Dehli; Editing by Jeremy Laurence)
Desy Nurhayati and Ni Komang Erviani, The Jakarta Post, Denpasar | Wed, 12/09/2009 2:24 PM | Bali
The President Director of Garuda Indonesia, as the country`s flight carrier, Emirsyah Satar, (center) and KLM CEO President Peter Hartman (left) and KLM Country Manager Axel Colen (right) are exchanging replica of aircrafts when signing GIA-KLM cooperation document in Jimbaran, Bali, Tuesday (Dec 8). The two airlines companies will cooperate as chosen flight frequency addition of Singapore-Amsterdam route managed by KLM. (ANTARA/Yudhi/Eliswan/C)
KLM Royal Dutch Airlines has resumed a direct flight from Amsterdam to Bali starting Dec. 7 this year after the route was dropped in October 1997.
The first flight on the revived route, KL835, touched down at Ngurah Rai International Airport in Denpasar at 8:20 p.m. Monday evening, with 191 passengers and 14 crew on board the Boeing 777-300ER aircraft, said Dimiati, spokeswoman for airport operator PT Angkasa Pura I.
The 425-seat aircraft left for Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam an hour later, on route KL836, with a stopover in Singapore.
KLM's previous direct flight to Bali was on Oct. 15, 1997.
"Bali is a popular destination among Dutch and European holidaymakers," said KLM president and CEO Peter Hartman.
"This is a key factor that drives us to resume this flight."
KL835 departs from Schiphol every Tuesday, Friday and Sunday at 9 p.m. local time, arriving in Denpasar at 8:10 p.m. the next day.
The return KL836 departs from Bali every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday at 9:30 p.m. and arrives in Amsterdam early the next day at 8 a.m. Connections from Schiphol to various destinations across Europe and North America are available.
Hartman said the route had proved to be very popular.
"Therefore, we have decided to raise the frequency from three to four flights per week starting January 2010," he added.
The extra flight will be launched on Jan. 22, leaving Amsterdam on Saturday and departing from Bali on Sunday.
Together with its daily flight from Amsterdam to Jakarta, KLM also offers 10 flights a week connecting Indonesia and the Netherlands.
KLM has operated in Indonesia for the past 85 years. With the addition to its network of Bali, which becomes KLM's 61st long-distance destination, KLM now serves six routes to Southeast Asia.
Commenting on the resumption of KLM's route, I Gde Pitana, director general of overseas promotion at the Culture and Tourism Ministry, said the route would have a positive impact on tourism in the resort island.
"The direct flight will encourage more European tourists to come to Bali, because accessibility is the main issue in improving a destination," Pitana told The Jakarta Post.
He added Bali had great potential to attract European tourists, but was being held back by poor accessibility.
"Therefore we encourage more carriers to fly direct flights from Europe," he said.
The ministry says 540,828 tourists from Europe visited Bali between January and October this year. That number is an increase from 514,585 during the same period last year.
The President Director of Garuda Indonesia, as the country`s flight carrier, Emirsyah Satar, (center) and KLM CEO President Peter Hartman (left) and KLM Country Manager Axel Colen (right) are exchanging replica of aircrafts when signing GIA-KLM cooperation document in Jimbaran, Bali, Tuesday (Dec 8). The two airlines companies will cooperate as chosen flight frequency addition of Singapore-Amsterdam route managed by KLM. (ANTARA/Yudhi/Eliswan/C)
Related Articles:
Security and Safety Key For Indonesian Airlines’ Return to Europe: Minister
The Jakarta Post, Sun, 03/29/2009 11:14 AM
Another head scratching moment for me and for people who assist me — as an Indonesian passport holder I always face the same issue every time I need or plan to go to other countries outside ASEAN. Applying for entry visas, with stacks of documents and tedious preparations required. At the end I always feel overwhelmed filling in the forms and preparing necessary documents.
One has suggested to me to change nationality to make it easier for me whenever I need to travel overseas. You know, for citizens of some countries, they have visa waivers so they can just jump up and go overseas anytime they want.
As a spontaneous person I feel this visa issue burdening me a lot. When I am in the mood for travel I need to check entry requirement first, then have to start applying for visas. Depending on the country and my luck (and so far I have been lucky), I will get a visa approved in 1-2 weeks. But, hey, the anticipation may not be there anymore. But what can I do? Nothing. Just try to keep my name clear so every time I apply for a visa or when I enter any country the immigration officer’s computer will flash “Clear” or “Not in the dangerous list” or whatever.
Back to the suggestion of changing nationality, I suddenly remember one story of an Indonesian singer who already went international. She has been living outside Indonesia for many years and had established her reputation as a reputable international singer in Europe. She changed her Indonesian nationality to another nationality. She told the papers that as an international artist she had difficulties and often has a headache applying for and getting entry visas to perform or do overseas tours and the Indonesian embassy people did not help her much too. Exchanging nationality for ease of travel?
It is true that being Indonesian we often have to line up outside the embassy applying for visas that may or may not be approved, with stacks of documents and financial proofs that should be prepared, and we have to wait for at least 1 week or, it could be worst, 1 month to get it. In the process, our passports will be kept with them. Honestly I hate this waiting time. I am hopeless without my green passport.
Now come to think of it, why do people, in this case governments, always make things so complicated? Is it their nature not to trust anybody? So is it that we are guilty before proven innocent?
Maybe changing nationality is worth doing it. But, my blood is Indonesian. Although, like many Indonesians, I swear a lot about the country, but, it is my country, and I belong to it. I was, am and always will be Indonesian. No matter what.
I never knew that I loved my country until I realized it one day. I still remember vividly that day. I was about to move to Canada. It was late November. I was at Cengkareng airport in Jakarta, waiting for my flight. It was not a time when the national anthem was normally played publicly, but, suddenly I heard the Indonesian national anthem. I was dumb struck and started crying quietly. I missed Indonesia already. I promised myself that being Indonesian overseas meant that I had to represent Indonesia, make the country proud of me, and that I would be proud of the country and defend it.
Despite any troubling things that have been happening in Indonesia, I am never ashamed of being Indonesian. I am sometimes sad and disappointed with what’s happening in the country but am never ashamed of the country. If any bad news about Indonesia reaches the shores where I live, I will always take it as my responsibility to help the country to explain — especially to non-Indonesian people or people who are not familiar with Indonesia — what exactly is happening.
I always believe it is our duty to learn the best things wherever we live overseas and bring them back to Indonesia someday, perhaps to help build a better Indonesia in the future.
Well, in the end, with my discovering my true love of my country, Indonesia, it is really worth going through the headaches and bother of applying for entry visas rather than exchanging my identity. I am Indonesian. I will always be Indonesian. And I am proud of it.
Aditya Suharmoko, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Fri, 12/26/2008 9:20 AM
An bilboard on a Jakarta street encourages Indonesians to register with the tax office. Under the so-called “Sunset Policy” program, which ends on Dec. 31, the tax office said over 10 million people have so far registered for a tax file number (NPWP). (JP/Ricky Yudhistira)
The tax office has officially announced an increase in the much-decried fiskal, or exit tax for travelers going overseas, in part to put to rest widespread speculation over the amount of the increase.
The exit tax for those aged 21 years and above departing from airports will be raised from Rp 1 million (US$91) to Rp 2.5 million, and for those traveling by sea from Rp 500,000 to Rp 1 million, effective Jan. 1, 2009, to Dec. 31, 2010.
However, registered taxpayers will not have to pay a single cent; and starting from 2011, the exit tax will be scrapped altogether, according to the Finance Ministry’s directorate general of taxation.
Director general Darmin Nasution said the increase in exit tax was part of an effort to get more potential taxpayers to register for a tax number (NPWP).
It is proving a smart ruse, with many middle-to-high-income residents flocking to nearby tax offices to get an NPWP to comply with the office’s Sunset Policy program that ends on Dec. 31.
The program, under which applicants’ tax obligations in previous years are written off, has seen people rushing to register themselves.
This month alone, the number of people registering for an NPWP was between 50,000 and 100,000 per day, up from about 7,000 people daily in previous months.
The exit tax will from now on become an up-front payment for income tax.
For instance, an employee whose income tax is Rp 20 million per year and who has traveled abroad twice this year — paying Rp 1 million in exit tax each time — will only have to pay Rp 18 million in income tax when filing their tax returns in March 2009.
For those not yet registered, the new exit tax of Rp 2.5 million could prove very daunting.
Satria Ramadhan, who will go to Bangkok for holidays in early January, said he was glad to have registered for an NPWP.
“Otherwise, I would have to pay Rp 2.5 million. I would have definitely canceled my trip if I had to pay such a huge amount.”
Another traveler, Frederick Tobing, praised the move by the directorate general of taxation.
“It’s a smart move. Most people, including myself, will rush to register at the tax office, just to avoid paying the exit tax.”
The directorate general of taxation estimates up to 10 million new taxpayers have registered this year, Darmin said.
“I didn’t expect the number to be this huge. No one expected to tap 10 million new taxpayers,” he said.
To get exemption from paying the exit tax, registered taxpayers must submit a copy of their NPWP, passport and boarding pass to tax officials at airports or ports.
If the NPWP is declared valid, the officials will put a “free exit tax” sticker on the boarding pass. If it is not valid, travelers will have to pay the exit tax.
Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The Indonesian government will present medals to foreign tourists who have visited Indonesia at least 20 times, a minister said.
"We hope that by presenting the medals, we will encourage more foreign tourists to come to Indonesia," Culture and Tourism Minister Jero Wacik said here on Wednesday.
The medal presentation program for tourists was currently being processed and expected to be implemented in the very near future, the minister said.
According to the minister, Bali`s tourism office had data on the visits of foreign tourists, especially those from Australia who frequently came to Bali Island.
The minister was scheduled to launch a Tourism Awareness Campaign in Bandung, West Java, on November 25, 2007, as part of events to be organized prior to the launching of the Visit Indonesia Year 2008 program.
The campaign would also feature an art and culture parade by 17 art teams from all over Indonesia.
Indonesia is planning to launch a Visit Indonesia Year 2008 and expecting to attract seven million tourists, an increase from the 2007 target of six million.
For domestic tourists, Indonesia has set itself the targets of 118 million in 2008 and 117 million in 2007.
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
In an effort to boost tourism next year, when is set to be declared "Visit Indonesia Year", the government should consider establishing a travel-pass system for overseas visitors, Indonesia's Tourism Council says.
Dorodjatun Kuntjorojakti, an advisor to the council, told a tourism seminar Monday that the year 2008, which will also see Beijing hold the Olympic Games, will provide a good opportunity to attract millions of tourists from all over the world to Indonesia.
"Thus, the government should make the best out of this by working on a travel-pass system enabling post-Olympic tourists to come here," he suggested.
He explained that travel passes, consisting of round-trip tickets to destinations throughout Indonesia using any means of transportation, could be sold at tourist destinations and entry gates worldwide.
For the travel pass to work, the government would have to collaborate with travel agents, international airlines and local transportation operators, such as bus companies, state-owned railway operator PT KAI and ferry firm PT Pelni.
"Even though we have don't have an integrated, intermode transportation system or an MRT, we can still make use of what we've already got."
Up to 500,000 foreign tourists and 2.5 million local tourists are expected to attend the Olympics, according to a forecast by the International Olympic Committee. China has invested around US$17 billion on hosting event.
To coincide with the Olympics, Indonesia will declare 2008 "Visit Indonesia Year", with the country set to stage 100 international-scale events and cultural festivals throughout the 33 provinces of the archipelago.
It is hoped that the promotion will increase the number of foreign visitors to some seven million next year from around six million this year.
The official announcement of Visit Indonesia Year, which was initially planned to take place next month, will now be made in September.
As part of its preparations, the government is working on improving basic infrastructure, such as roads and telecommunications access, in the country's top tourist destinations.
The Culture and Tourism Ministry will spend some Rp 153 billion (US$17 million) on improving tourism attractions and promoting the campaign.
Dorodjatun, a former coordinating minister for the economy, said that besides availing of the opportunities provided by the Olympics, the government should also continuously strive to sustainably upgrade tourism facilities and access to tourist destinations.
Responding to the suggestion, the ministry's director general of marketing, Thamrin B. Bachri, said that the proposal sounded good, although what the government was focusing on at the moment was improving the basic infrastructure in tourist destinations.
"The most important thing is to enhance the basic elements first," he said. "How can we attract the tourists if we still adequate facilities, like airports, for instance."
The Indonesian Tourism Council groups tourism experts and business players, and is charged with providing advice and suggestions to the government for the development of the tourism sector.
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Holders of American Express goldcards issued by Bank Danamon can now benefit from an eye-scanning facility when passing through immigration at Jakarta's Sukarno Hatta International Airport.
Cardholders will only need to insert iris-data cards and have theirs eyes scanned by a scanning device, which will match the data on the card and with the person's iris.
"This facility is very efficient as passengers no longer have to fill out embarkation forms, or get their passports stamped. They only need to have their irises scanned," said director of Angkasa Pura Schiphol Djoko Santoso during the signing of the collaboration agreement for the facility with Bank Danamon on Thursday.
The eye scanning process, called automatic border passage, will replace manual passport checking, which can take an average of around 20 minutes.
Automatic border passage is part of the Saphire program designed by PT Angkasa Pura Schiphol, a joint venture between PT Angkasa Pura II, the operator of Soekarno Hatta, and the Netherlands-based Schiphol Group.
The holders of Amex gold cards can use the Saphire program for free during the first year, but will have to pay US$180 annually in subsequent years. They can also enjoy other Saphire program perks, including special parking facilities, and exclusive security gates and check-in counters for Saphire customers.
Bank Danamon vice president Subba Vaidyanathan said that the Saphire program was a commercial initiative designed to provide more benefits for Amex gold cardholders, who were often frequent fliers.
"Most of our Amex cardholders are businesspeople that need efficiency when traveling. We believe that the Saphire program will satisfy them as it offers not only time savings, but also an exclusive services," said Subba.
Djoko said that the installation of eye-scanning machines was part of its commitment to making Sukarno Hatta a world-class international airport.
Angkasa Pura Schiphol has invested around Rp 2 billion ($222,200) on installing automatic border passage equipment. The necessary technology was developed by the Schiphol Group, which has been working together with Angkasa Pura II since 1996.
Jakarta, June 17 (Xinhua): Indonesia has extended the visa on arrival (VOA) facility to 11 more countries, and is considering giving the facility to another 11 countries in an attempt to woo foreign tourists, local media reported on Saturday.
The 11 countries includes Algeria, the Czech Republic, Fiji, Latvia, Libya, Lithuania, Panama, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia and Tunisia.
The Directorate General of Immigration announced Friday that based on a Justice and Human Rights Ministry decree, beginning on May 28, 2007, citizens from a total of 63 countries will enjoy visa on arrival.
"The extension of the visa on arrival facility is aimed at raising the frequency of visits by foreign tourists," the immigration office said in a statement.
Indonesian Foreign Ministry spokesman Kristiarto Soeryo Legowo said the government was now studying the possibility of extending the facility to 11 additional countries to allow more tourists and investors to come to Indonesia.
"So, there will be 74 countries that receive the visa on arrival facility soon, pending a decree from the Justice and Human Rights Ministry. We hope more foreigners will come to Indonesia," he was quoted by the Jakarta Post as saying.
He refused to identify the 11 additional countries. The visa on arrival was first introduced on Feb. 21, 2004.
Under the system, tourists from selected countries do not have to apply abroad for a visa but can purchase a visa on arrival at Indonesia's international airports and seaports. A seven-day visa costs 10 U.S. dollars, while a 30-day visa costs 25 U.S. dollars.
Indonesia's tourist arrival numbers dropped by 2.61 percent to 4.87 million in 2006 from 5 million in 2005.
The government said extending the visa on arrival facility was expected to raise tourist numbers to 6 million in 2007.
