Fresh 6.9-magnitude quake rocks Indonesia's Lombok island

Yahoo – AFP, August 19, 2018

The already quake battered island of Lombok was hit by fresh tremors
on August 19, 2018 (AFP Photo/Handout)

Mataram (Indonesia) (AFP) - Multiple earthquakes -- including a powerful and shallow 6.9-magnitude tremor -- struck Indonesia's Lombok on Sunday, sending fresh panic coursing through the already battered island.

Four significant quakes were recorded by seismologists on Sunday, the first measuring 6.3 shortly before midday which triggered landslides and sent people fleeing for cover.

It was followed nearly twelve hours later by a late evening quake measuring 6.9 and two aftershocks of 5.9 and 5.3 strength, according to the US Geological Survey.

The picturesque island is already reeling from two devastating quakes on July 29 and August 5 that killed nearly 500 people and made hundreds of thousands homeless.

There were no immediate reports of casualties or damage from the late evening quakes on an island where many have chosen to sleep in tents in recent weeks because of regular aftershocks.

One local resident said the powerful tremor jolted him awake.

"The earthquake was incredibly strong. Everything was shaking," Agus Salim told AFP.

"We were all sleeping in an evacuation tent. I had just fallen asleep when suddenly it started to shake.... Everyone ran into the street screaming and crying."

A dozen foreign guests at the hotel Lina Senggigi, which is in a popular tourist spot, were ushered out of the building as the quake struck.

"The jolt was strong and quite long... Tonight we will ask our guests to sleep in the parking lot. It's safer that way," a staff member told Kompas TV.

National disaster agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho tweeted that blackouts had hit much of the island after the evening quakes.

"Aftershocks are still happening across Lombok," he tweeted. "It's pitch black.... We are still coordinating with officials on the ground."

A woman and boy watch as men clear the wreckage of houses damaged by an 

earthquake in Menggala, North Lombok (AFP Photo/ADEK BERRY)

Landslides and collapsed buildings

Earlier in the day he said that the morning quake caused panic but no widespread reports of damage. One person died from a suspected heart attack and there were reports of localised damage.

Landslides were reported in a national park on Mount Rinjani where hundreds of hikers had been briefly trapped after the quake in late July. The park has been closed since then.

Local disaster mitigation agency spokesman Agung Pramuja said several houses and other structures in the district of Sembalun, on the slopes of Mount Rinjani, collapsed on Sunday after being damaged by the previous two quakes.

The structures included checkpoints once used by trekkers climbing the mountain, Pramuja said, adding that the exact number of damaged buildings was still being checked.

Sunday's tremors were also felt on the neighbouring resort island of Bali but there were no reports of damage.

'Ring of Fire'

The latest tremor comes two weeks after a shallow 6.9-magnitude quake on August 5 damaged tens of thousands of homes, mosques and businesses across Lombok.

At least 481 people died and thousands were injured.

The hardest-hit region was in the north of the island, which has suffered hundreds of aftershocks.

A week before that quake, a tremor surged through the island and killed 17.

The August 5 quake left more than 350,000 displaced, with many sleeping under tents or tarpaulins near their ruined homes or in evacuation shelters, while makeshift medical facilities were set up to treat the injured.

Badly damaged roads, particularly in the mountainous north of the island, are a headache for relief agencies trying to distribute aid.

The economic toll of the quake is estimated to be at least five trillion rupiah ($348 million).

Indonesia sits on the so-called Pacific "Ring of Fire", where tectonic plates collide and many of the world's volcanic eruptions and earthquakes occur.

In 2004 a tsunami triggered by a magnitude 9.3 undersea earthquake off the coast of Sumatra in western Indonesia killed 220,000 people in countries around the Indian Ocean, including 168,000 in Indonesia.

The Indonesian island of Lombok has experienced 30 earthquakes since July 28 pic.twitter.com/3V85JqhOAm

— AFP news agency (@AFP) August 19, 2018

More than 2,000 tourists evacuated after Indonesia quake kills 98

Yahoo – AFP, Kiki Siregar, August 6, 2018

The Lombok quake has already killed 91 people with fears the toll could rise
(AFP Photo/ADEK BERRY)

Mataram (Indonesia) (AFP) - Indonesia Monday sent rescuers fanning out across the holiday island of Lombok and evacuated more than 2,000 tourists after a powerful earthquake killed at least 98 people and damaged thousands of buildings.

The shallow 6.9-magnitude quake sparked terror among tourists and locals alike, coming just a week after another deadly tremor surged through Lombok and killed 17 people.

Rescuers on Monday searched for survivors in the rubble of houses, mosques and schools destroyed in the latest disaster on Sunday evening.

National disaster agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said there were fears a number of people were trapped in the ruins of a collapsed mosque in the northern village of Lading-Lading. Footage he posted on Twitter showed the large concrete mosque had pancaked.

A lack of heavy equipment and shattered roads were hampering efforts to reach survivors in the mountainous north and east of the island, which had been hardest hit.

Najmul Akhyar, the head of North Lombok district, estimated that 80 percent of that region was damaged by the quake.

"We expect the number of fatalities to keep rising," Nugroho said. "All victims who died are Indonesians."

He said up to 20,000 people may have had to quit their homes on Lombok and paramedics, food and medication were badly needed.

The spokesman said search and rescue teams also rescued between 2,000 and 2,700 tourists from the Gili Islands, three tiny, coral-fringed tropical islands a few kilometres off the northwest coast of Lombok.

Authorities initially said 1,200 people were stuck on the islands but scaled up the figure early in the evening. Some tourists chose to stay behind.

Footage posted online by Nugroho showed hundreds crowded onto powder-white beaches desperately awaiting transport off the normally paradise Gilis.

"We cannot evacuate all of them all at once because we don't have enough capacity on the boats," Muhammad Faozal, the head of the tourism agency in West Nusa Tenggara province, told AFP, adding two navy vessels were on their way.

"It's understandable they want to leave the Gilis, they are panicking."

By early afternoon, hundreds of weary tourists had arrived with their baggage at Bangsal harbour, the main link between Lombok and the Gilis.

Margret Helgadottir, a holidaymaker from Iceland, described people screaming as the roof of her hotel on one of the islands collapsed.

"We just froze: thankfully we were outside," she told AFP tearfully from a harbour in Lombok to where she had been evacuated. "Everything went black, it was terrible."

Seven Indonesian holidaymakers died on the largest of the three islands, Gili Trawangan, while another local woman died on nearby Bali.

Foreign tourists were among those injured on Lombok and the nearby Gili 

islands (AFP Photo/ADEK BERRY)

Night of aftershocks

But it was Lombok which bore the brunt of Sunday evening's quake.

The shallow tremor sent thousands of residents and tourists scrambling outdoors, where many spent the night as strong aftershocks including one of 5.3-magnitude rattled the island.

The quake knocked out power in many areas and parts of Lombok remained without electricity on Monday.

Hundreds of bloodied and bandaged victims were treated outside damaged hospitals in the main city of Mataram and other hard-hit areas.

Patients lay on beds under wards set up in tents, surrounded by drip stands and monitors, as doctors in blue scrubs attended to them.

Anguished relatives were huddled around loved ones in front of the main clinic in Mataram, as medical staff struggled to cope with hundreds of patients. Many were yet to be attended to despite spending the night out in the open.

"I feel restless sleeping in a tent, I can't be at peace," Nurhayati told AFP outside one hospital where she had brought her sick 70-year-old mother.

"What we really need now are paramedics, we are short-staffed. We also need medications," Supriadi, a spokesman for Mataram general hospital, told AFP.

Singapore's Home Affairs Minister K. Shanmugam, who was in Lombok for a security conference when the earthquake struck, described on Facebook how his hotel room on the 10th floor shook violently.

"Walls cracked, it was quite impossible to stand up," he said.

Bali's international airport suffered damage to its terminal but the runway was unaffected and operations had returned to normal. Disaster agency officials said. Lombok airport was also operating.

Indonesia, one of the world's most disaster-prone nations, straddles the so-called Pacific "Ring of Fire", where tectonic plates collide and many of the world's volcanic eruptions and earthquakes occur.

In 2014, a devastating tsunami triggered by a magnitude 9.3 undersea earthquake off the coast of Sumatra in western Indonesia killed 220,000 people in countries around the Indian Ocean, including 168,000 in Indonesia.

Infographic on the Indonesian holiday island of Lombok, where a 6.9-magnitude quake killed scores of people and damaged thousands of buildings https://t.co/PxrElscQ7A pic.twitter.com/a65Z8xV2qE

— AFP news agency (@AFP) August 6, 2018

Volcano hikers tell of terror after Indonesia quake

Yahoo – AFP, Bara Elank, 31 July 2018

Hikers were able to start descending the mountain Monday after guides
discovered an alternate route that was unaffected by the landslides

More than 500 hikers and guides stranded by landslides on an Indonesian mountain after an earthquake have returned to safety, with some recalling their terror when tonnes of rock cascaded down.

The shallow 6.4-magnitude quake, which struck early Sunday on Lombok island and was followed by scores of aftershocks, triggered major landslides on Mount Rinjani, blocking the hiking routes that criss-cross it.

Some 800 trekkers and their guides were on the mountain when the quake struck including citizens from the United States, France, the Netherlands, Thailand, Germany and 21 other countries, according to search and rescue officials.

Hundreds managed to find a way down on Sunday and over 500 more reached safety Monday night.

While most were able to pick their way down the mountain on foot, at least three arrived at Sembalun village on the lower slopes by helicopter, according to officials.

Some returned with harrowing tales of being caught out by the quake, which killed 17 people across the holiday island including one on the mountain.

At least 16 people were killed in the earthquake across affected areas of Lombok, 

while hundreds of buildings were destroyed including a health clinic

Australian hiker Stanley Yu said the ground began to shake about 20 minutes after his group reached Rinjani’s peak.

"The earthquake lasted about 10-20 seconds. After that everybody was rushing down," he told AFP.

"On the way down there was another earthquake and that made everyone panic -- it was pretty scary."

One Thai tourist, who reached the foot of the mountain Tuesday morning, felt the ground shake beneath her sleeping bag.

"I felt the earth move... and thought 'Huh? What’s happening?'" she said.

"I got out of my bed and then I saw a landslide (with) rocks falling down."

A male friend said he watched parts of Rinjani's slopes collapse.

"The whole mountain, rocks, fell down -- I was a bit afraid," he said.

Map showing the area on Lombok, Indonesia, where hikers were trapped 

after an earthquake

'Tired but in good condition'

The remaining 500 or so hikers were able to start climbing down on Monday after guides discovered an alternate route that was unaffected by the landslides.

The last three trekkers -- two porters and a guide -- are expected to arrive at the base of the mountain by 7pm local time, said Agus Hendra Sanjaya, a spokesman for the search and rescue agency on the island's main city of Mataram.

"We have searched the (Rinjani) area, there are no more hikers," he told AFP.

"We started this morning at 6am and will continue to monitor the situation for the next three days from our base at the foot of the mountain in Sembalun."

Most of the trekkers reached the base of the mountain by late Monday evening, according to I Gusti Lanang Wiswananda, another spokesman from the Mataram search and rescue agency.

"They were all tired but in good condition and were checked by our medical teams on the ground upon arrival," he told AFP.

Helicopters and search teams had been deployed to scour the mountain's slopes and drop food supplies for those stranded on it.

More than 7,500 people are staying in temporary shelters and in need of clean

water, according to officials

Thousands of buildings were destroyed across Lombok, including a health clinic.

National disaster mitigation agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said more than 220 people suffered serious injuries.

A Malaysian tourist was among the dead, with another six citizens injured, the foreign ministry in Kuala Lumpur has said.

A total of 7,593 people are staying in temporary shelters, according to officials.

The 3,726-metre (12,224-feet) Rinjani is the second-highest volcano in Indonesia and a favourite among sightseers.

Its hiking trails were closed following the quake due to fear of further landslides.

The epicentre of the earthquake was 50 kilometres (30 miles) northeast of Mataram, far from the main tourist spots on the south and west of the island.

The initial tremor was followed by two strong secondary quakes and more than 100 aftershocks.

At least 10 dead as strong quake jolts Indonesian island of Lombok

Yahoo – AFP, July 29, 2018

The quake damaged thousands of homes, according to officials (AFP Photo/Handout)

A powerful earthquake on the Indonesian tourist island of Lombok killed at least 10 people, injured dozens and damaged hundreds of homes on Sunday, officials said.

The shallow 6.4-magnitude quake, which jolted the island in the early morning, sent people running outside in panic and triggered landslides on popular mountain hiking routes.

The initial tremor in the north of the island was followed by two strong secondary quakes and more than 100 aftershocks.

"The earthquake killed at least 10 people, some 40 people are injured and hundreds of houses were damaged," said Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, spokesman for Indonesia's disaster mitigation agency.

"We estimate the number will keep rising because we are not done collecting data," Nugroho said.

A 30-year old Malaysian woman was among the dead, he said, adding those hurt were hit by debris.

As authorities scrambled to assess the damage to buildings and infrastructure, popular trekking trails on Mount Rinjani were closed because of landslides, according to the disaster agency.

One local trek organiser described how rocks rained down on two Spanish hikers and their guide as they were caught on a mountain trail.

"My trekking guide who was accompanying two tourists from Spain suffered from minor injuries during the jolt. They were hiking from Segara Anak Lake to Plawangan and rocks were falling on them during the quake," said Karyadi, the owner of a guesthouse near Rinjani where the pair were staying.

"Our guests were in shock because of the incident," said Karyadi, who like many Indonesians goes by one name.

"There have been almost non-stop tremors since this morning," he said.

The epicentre of the earthquake struck 50 km (30 miles) northeast of Lombok's main city Mataram, the United States Geological Survey said, far from the main tourist spots on the south and west of the island.

USGS said two of the aftershocks measured more than 5-magnitude.

The strong tremor sent people running in panic from homes and hotels in the 

early morning (AFP Photo/Handout)

The jolt was felt some 100 km (60 miles) away in the bustling holiday island of Bali, although there were no immediate reports of damage there.

"The earthquake was very strong... and everybody in my house panicked, we all ran outside," said Zulkifli, a resident of North Lombok, close to the epicentre.

"All my neighbours also ran outside and the electricity was suddenly cut off," Zulkifli told AFP.

Aftershocks

No tsunami alert was issued, according to Indonesia's geophysics and meteorology agency.

"People in East Lombok and Mataram felt the strong quake for 10 seconds, residents were panicking and running outside of their homes," Nugroho said earlier, adding people had run for open spaces like football fields.

At the holiday island's hotels, tourists raced outside as the quake struck.

At the Katamaran Hotel & Resort in Senggigi beach, some 30 guests gathered in the lobby for around half an hour before venturing back to their rooms.

"They calmed down and returned to their rooms once we explained the earthquake did not trigger a tsunami. Everything is back to normal now," receptionist Ni Nyoman Suwarningsih told AFP.

The quake also rocked the tiny Gili islands off northeast Lombok, which are popular with honeymooners.

"Fortunately there was no panic during the earthquake even though it was quite strong," said Lilis Letisha, receptionist at the Ombak Paradise Hotel on Gili Air island.

Indonesia, an archipelago of thousands of islands, sits on the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire, a seismic activity hotspot.

It is frequently hit by quakes, most of them harmless. However, the region remains acutely alert to tremors that might trigger tsunamis.

In 2004 a tsunami triggered by a magnitude 9.3 undersea earthquake off the coast of Sumatra in western Indonesia killed 220,000 people in countries around the Indian Ocean, including 168,000 in Indonesia.

Ten foreigners, five locals missing as Indonesia tour boat sinks

Yahoo – AFP, Andy Amaldan, 17 Aug 2014

Survivors rescued after a tourist boat sank rest at a house near to the

Indonesian town of Bima on August 17, 2014 (AFP Photo/Andy Amaldan)

Bima (Indonesia) (AFP) - Ten foreign tourists and five Indonesians were missing Sunday after a boat sank as it travelled between islands in the east of the country, while 10 others have been rescued, search and rescue officials said.

The vessel went down Saturday after being caught up in a storm en route from Lombok island to Komodo island, the home of the Komodo dragon -- the world's biggest lizard and a draw for tourists.

Those rescued were from New Zealand, Britain, Spain, the Netherlands, Germany and France, said search and rescue official Budiawan, who like many Indonesians goes by one name. They had all received medical treatment, officials said.

Indonesian Muslim devotees arrive on a

 boat to attend the morning prayer to 

celebrate the Eid al-Fitr festival at the

 historic Sunda Kelapa port district of 

Jakarta on July 28, 2014 (AFP Photo/

Romeo Gacad)

The nationalities of the foreigners still missing was not immediately clear. The missing Indonesians were four boat crew members and a tour guide.

Bertrand Homassel, a French survivor, said the boat started sinking slowly after its hull was damaged in a storm on Friday night, and he and several others had to swim a long distance to a volcanic island to save themselves.

"Six people were in the lifeboat. The others climbed onto the roof of the boat, which had not completely sunk," he said, speaking from a hotel in Bima on Sumbawa island, where the survivors were taken after being rescued.

"We waited until midday on Saturday. We were five kilometres (three miles) from the coast -- there were many big waves separating us from the coast.

"People started to panic... Everyone took the decision to swim to the closest island, five kilometres away, where there was an erupting volcano."

He said that they swam for six hours and arrived on the island, Sangeang, as the sun was setting. They spent Saturday night there, surviving by drinking their own urine and eating leaves.

On Sunday, they attracted the attention of a passing boat by waving their life jackets, and were rescued and taken to Bima, he said.

"I was really very lucky," Homassel added.

Budiawan, the search and rescue official, said that 10 foreigners and five Indonesians were still missing after the boat sank, and efforts were ongoing to find them.

Suryaman, a search and rescue official in Bima, said five of the tourists were rescued by fishermen at night, and five others were saved by a sailing boat.

Fishing boats anchor at Waibalun bay in East Flores, East Nusa Tenggara

on May 21, 2013 (AFP Photo/Sonny Tumbelaka)

The British embassy said two British nationals had been admitted to hospital.

"We are in contact with the local authorities and stand ready to offer consular assistance to any other British nationals who may be involved," a spokesman said.

Komodo island is one of several islands that make up the Komodo National Park, a protected area that is home to the Komodo dragon. The huge lizards can grow up to three metres (10 feet) long and have a venomous bite.

Indonesia relies heavily on boats to connect its more than 17,000 islands, but has a poor maritime safety record.

Two vessels sank last month in different parts of the archipelago as millions travelled for the Muslim Eid holiday, leaving at least 36 people dead.

Fatal boat sinkings involving asylum-seeker vessels trying to make the treacherous sea crossing from Indonesia to Australia are also common.

But boat sinkings involving foreign tourists are rare, with accidents in Indonesia's booming aviation sector more of a danger for overseas visitors in recent years.

Foreign survivors receive medical treatment after being rescued

 from a sinking tourist boat on the outskirts of Bima, West Nusa

Tenggara, on Aug. 18, 2014. (EPA Photo/Yudha Hendrawan)

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Politicians Rally Around Komodo Tourism Drive

Jakarta Globe, Robertus Wardi, September 12, 2013

This file photo taken on December 3, 2010 shows Komodo dragons, the
 largest lizards in the world, on Rinca island part of the protected area
of Komodo National Park. (AFP Photo/Romeo Gacad)

The inclusion of the East Nusa Tenggara island of Komodo in the list of the “New 7 Wonders of Nature” in 2011, has seen increasing numbers of domestic and foreign visitors flock to Labuan Bajo, Flores, the sole entry point to the island, but tourism development remains slow.

Former Indonesian Vice President Jusuf Kalla said he hoped the island’s popularity would see a multiplier effect that could encourage the government to build better infrastructure in the area.

“We are all doing our best in turning Bali, Lombok as well as the Komodo village into good tourism destinations. The first things that are needed for tourism are discipline and hygiene,” he said.

Kalla added that locals needed to be helped to improve their language skills, both English and Indonesian, as well as their professionalism and hospitality in welcoming guests.

“The biggest challenge for a tourist area is the change of lifestyle from a more closed community to a more open one.”

In an effort to further boost Komodo’s tourism industry, the Trade Ministry is exhibiting local products during the Sail Komodo yachting event, which will be attended by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono on Saturday.

“The exhibition will become an effective promotional event to introduce various local products to international buyers and investors attending the Sail Komodo event,” the Trade Ministry’s Pradnyawati said.

She said the natural riches of East Nusa Tenggara remained far from being optimally developed and therefore made little contribution to the lives of local residents.

Products in the exhibition include textiles, food, hunting accessories as well as locally made jewelry and fashion accessories.

“The world has now turned its eyes on Sail Komodo 2013. It is hoped that many would be able to see [Komodo’s] natural potential and the variety of products here in Indonesia,” she added.

Lombok International Airport starts operations

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta, Sat, 10/01/2011

Premier landing: A Garuda Indonesia airplane carrying West Nusa
 Tenggara Governor Zainul Majdi and his entourage from Jakarta lands
at Lombok International Airport on Saturday. The plane was the first
 commercial aircraft landing at the new airport, officiated on Saturday.
(Antara/Ahmad Subaidi)

The West Nusa Tenggara administration officially opened, on Saturday, Lombok International Airport in a move to boost tourism in Lombok, an island next to Bali which is becoming popular among both local and foreign tourists.

The new airport is located in Pujut district in Central Lombok regency, about 40 kilometers to the south of Mataram, the capital of West Nusa Tenggara.

It is managed by state airport operator PT Angkasa Pura I, and replaces the old Selaparang Airport, which had been the main portal for entering Lombok.

A Boeing 737-800 JR airplane operated by national flag carrier Garuda Indonesia was the first commercial aircraft to land at the new airport, carrying West Nusa Tenggara Governor Zainul Majdi and his entourage, as well as Transportation Ministry director general for air transport Harry Bhakti, from Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Jakarta, Antara reported.

Delegations from 20 countries discuss cultural cooperation

Antara News, Tue, July 12 2011

Related News

• VP to visit Aikmel market in East Lombok
• VP to open int`l youth festival in Lombok
• Lombok to hold Sumbawa Pearl Festival in July
• Kite Festival at Jakarta`s Monas on July 10
• Balinese Art Troupe Off To France

Lombok Barat, West Nusa Tenggara (ANTARA News) - Delegations from 20 countries in Asia and Europe gathered in Senggigi tourist resort in Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara, here on Tuesday discussing efforts to increase cultural cooperation.

The activity until Wednesday was part of the preparations for the Asia Europe Meeting`s (ASEM) Culture Ministers Meeting (CMM) to be held in Yogyakarta in 2012.

The ASEM-CMM is held every two years to improve understanding and cultural exchanges among Asian and European countries.

The first ASEM-CMM meeting was held in Beijing in 2003, the second in Paris in 2005, the third in Kuala Lumpur in 2008, the fourth in Poznan on September 9-10 and the fifth later in Yogyakarta.

The preliminary meeting in Senggigi was attended by 14 delegations from Asia and six from Europe.

The Asian countries participating in the meeting are Indonesia, Cambodia, China, India, Japan, South Korea, Laos, Vietnam, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines and Singapore.

The six European countries include the Netherlands, Germany, Belgium, Russia, Poland and Denmark.

Delegations from the European Union and Asia Europe Foundation (AEF) would also take part in the 2012 ASEM-CMM meeting.

The director general of America & Europe cooperation of the ministry of foreign affairs, Retno L.P. Marsudi, said on the sidelines of the meeting that the activity was directed to a dialogue forum focusing on perspectives of various information and cultural experiences.

"There are sharing of information and experiences and aspects of capacity building directing towards opportunities for cultural cooperation. Concretely they will be discussed later in bilateral meetings," she said.

As an example she referred to cooperation between Indonesia and the Netherlands in preserving the Istana Dalam Loka (palace) cultural heritage on Sumbawa island.

Such a cultural cooperation has also been carried out with Portugal in East Nusa Tenggara, she said.

Retno said the ASEM-CMM meeting in 2012 is expected to be able to produce concrete cooperation for the preservation of historical cities in Asia and Europe that would give direct benefit to the people in the two continents.

Lombok has been chosen to be the host of the Preparatory Senior Official Meeting because the island is one of the region that has a lot of cultural heritages.

In addition to that Indonesia also wishes to promote the region through "Visit Lombok Sumbawa (VLS) 2012".

She said Indonesia`s membership in ASEM is very beneficial because through it Indonesia could conduct cultural diplomacy with ASEM partners and fight for the government`s interest in the field.

"ASEM can also serve as a forum of information exchange that could facilitate cooperation between Indonesia and Asia and Europe and through the cooperation opportunities may be opened for development of technical cooperation in the form of bilateral or multilateral cooperation," she said.

An expert staff on multi-cultural affairs of the ministry of culture and tourism, Hari Untoro Drajat, meanwhile said efforts to increase cultural cooperation must remain based on Law Number 11 of 2010 on Cultural Preserve.

In implementing the regulation the government would continue to support cultural development in regions.

"In essence they are directed to improving cultural preservation so that the forms of cooperation would be discussed along with other Asias and European countries," he said.

Editor: Priyambodo RH

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)

Wakatobi district head wins Tourism Award 2010

Antara News, Wednesday, December 29, 2010

Kendari, Southeast Sulawesi (ANTARA News) - Wakatobi district head Hugua has received a Tourism Award 2010 from the Culture and Tourism Ministry in Jakarta.

"I received the highest award for tourism from Culture and Tourism Minister Jero Wacik during a Visit Indonesia Year 2010 Appreciation Night at Sahid Jaya Hotel on Monday night," Hugua said over his cellular phone from Jakarta on Wednesday.

Hugua said he got the award because he was considered to have achieved outstanding results in developing Wakatobi as a tourist destination and in promoting it internationally.

"Based on an evaluation from the Culture and Tourism Ministry, Wakatobi tourism has made outstanding progress during the year 2010 and attracted foreign tourists from many countries," Hugua said.

According to him, he also got a similar award in 2009 along with 12 district heads and mayors.

"The award is an appreciation from the central government through the Culture and Tourism Ministry to the district heads and mayors who have successfully developed and promoted the tourism sector in their respective regions to attract both domestic and foreign tourists," Hugua said.

He said that in 2009 only around 5,000 tourists visited Wakatobi but in 2010 the number sharply increased to around 20,000, especially from European countries such as England, France, and Switzerland.

Besides Hugua, Lombok Barat district head Zaini Arony also got a similar award from the Culture and Tourism Ministry because his district was a favorite tourist destination in 2010.

"The West Nusa Tenggara governor and I got the award from the Culture and Tourism Ministry two weeks ago in Jakarta," Lombok Barat district head Zaini Arony said in Giri Menang on Monday.

Zaini Arnoy said he also received the same award in 2009.

He said Lombok Barat district received a similar award in 2009 in the category of best tourism destination in Indonesia.

The award, according to him, was not only of national but also of international significance because it was given based on assessments made by domestic and foreign tourists who had visited various tourist objects in Lombok Barat district.

With those two awards, Zaini said, the Lombok Barat district government would continue to improve the tourism sector in the area to attract even more tourists.

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