World-Class Tourist Attractions and Nostalgia Bring Obama Back to Indonesia

Jakarta Globe, July 02, 2017

Barack Obama at Prambanan Temple near Yogyakarta on Thursday (29/06).
(Antara Photo/Fitri Atmoko)

Jakarta. Nostalgia brought former United States President Barack Obama back to Bali, Yogyakarta and Jakarta for a holiday with his family this week. The visit has also highlighted many world-class tourist attractions in Indonesia, including the great Buddhist and Hindu temples of Java.

Obama, the 44th US President, was born in Hawaii but spent some of his childhood in Indonesia after his mother Ann Dunham married an Indonesian man, Lolo Soetoro, in 1965.

His stepfather Lolo, who was geographer, returned to Indonesia in 1966 to help create maps of Papua.

Along with his mother, Obama, who was six years old at the time, moved to join his stepfather in Jakarta in 1967 and lived in the country until 1971.

When they lived in Indonesia, Obama's family frequently traveled to Yogyakarta where his mother, who was an anthropologist, carried out a research on village industries.

Obama, with his wife Michelle and his two daughters, visited the Buddhist temple Borobudur and the Hindu temple Prambanan near Yogyakarta and Becici Peak during their trip, visits which Obama indicated brought up strong feelings of nostalgia.

The trip has even made some international headlines. American fashion and lifestyle bible Vogue published an article about the holiday titled "President Obama’s Trip to an Ancient Indonesian City Had a Deeply Personal Meaning."

The family spent three days in Yogyakarta after spending five days in Bali, before delivering a speech at the 4th Indonesian Diaspora Congress in Jakarta.

Tourism Minister Arief Yahya said Obama's visit is a perfect endorsement for the country's Wonderful Indonesia tourism campaign since it highlights Indonesia's top tourist destinations, including the resort island of Bali, the royal city of Yogyakarta and the capital city of Jakarta.

"[Obama's visit] brings great media value and should attract many people to visit Indonesia. Thank you Obama," Arief said in a statement sent to the Jakarta Globe on Saturday (01/07).

Borobudur, Other Sites, Closed After Mount Kelud Eruption

Jakarta Globe, February 14, 2014

Workers cover the famous Borobudur temple to protect it. (EPA Photo)

Jakarta. Key tourism sites on the Indonesian island of Java were shut down on Friday as Mount Kelud’s explosive eruption blanketed a significant swath of Central Java in gray ash.

Workers covered the iconic stupas and statues of Borobudur temple on Friday, closing the region’s largest tourism location to visitors. The Prambanan temple and Ratu Boko palace were also closed for the day. It was unknown on Friday when the historic sites would reopen, the sites’ tourism company told the state-run Antara News Agency.

The company apologized for any inconvenience they may have caused travelers.

“We’re sorry for the inconvenient situation for people who were about to visit Borobudur and Prambanan temples and the Ratu Boko archeological site,” said Achamad Muchlis, secretary of the Taman Wisata Candi Borobudur, Prambanan dan Ratu Boko Yogyakarta company.

Borobudur could remained closed for the coming week, the company’s spokesman said.

“The Borobudur temple conservation agency in Central Java has covered some of [the temple's] stupas to protect the temple stones from volcanic ash,” spokesman Indra said. “It’s predicted that the stupas will be covered for the next seven days.”

Indra warned tourists to not attempt to visit the sites, explaining that the roads leading to Prambanan  were still slick with ash.

Mount Kelud blew its top late Thursday night in an explosive eruption heard as far away as Yogyakarta. As ash fell on Friday, the central government called for the evacuation of 36 villages in a 10-kilometer radius around the volcano, according to reports by Agence France-Presse. Some 200,000 were driven from their homes in and around Kediri district, East Java.

The eruption covered the region in thick ash as it spewed some 120 cubic meters of debris 17 kilometers into the sky, Gede Suantika, of the Volcanology and Disaster Mitigation Center (PVMBG), told the Indonesian news portal Detik.comon Friday.

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Thousands Flee Explosive Eruption at Mt. Kelud

Indonesian Heritage Sites

Jakarta Globe, Putri Minangsari – Burufly, October 7, 2013

Serenity at sunrise makes Borobudur temple a memorable place to visit.
(Burufly Photo)

More than three decades have passed since Unesco first listed cultural and natural heritage sites of special significance. In 2012, with almost 1,000 places on the list, it has become one of the reasons why people travel to faraway lands.

Indonesia is home to eight such Unesco sites. These range from natural beauty in the wilds of Sumatra to the magnificent Borobudur temple on Java. Here’s our guide to all eight:

Borobudur Compound (1991)

This temple is one of the the largest Buddhist monuments in the world. With more than two million blocks of carved volcanic stone and a beautiful line of five active volcanoes, the serenity and history make it a truly memorable place to visit.

Prambanan Compound (1991)

Adorned with lavish and suggestive decorations, this Hindu monument — a complex of 240 temples and was built in the eighth century, during the heyday of  the powerful Sailendra dynasty in Java — is said to be the largest outside India.

The compound has an open-air theater in which more than 200 dancers perform the great Hindu epic “Ramayana” every other night. The performance, set against the starry sky and a great bonfire with Prambanan as the backdrop, is definitely spell-binding.

Komodo National Park (1991)

More than five thousand giant lizards, whose appearance and aggressive behavior have led us to call them Komodo dragons, live in Padar, Komodo and Rinca, the three big islands that make up the Komodo National Park.

The living fossils might be the main attraction here, but the national park has more to offer. The dry hillsides of the savannah and pockets of green vegetation offer great vistas, while the white and pink sandy beaches and natural corals will take your breath away.

Komodo National Park (Burufly Photo)

Ujung Kulon National Park (1991)

Home to Krakatau — famous for a catastrophic eruption in 1883 — the Ujung Kulon National Park’s beauty remains preserved. Located on the south-western tip of Java, the park boasts several offshore islands with unspoiled beaches, stretched towards the Indian Ocean.

Sangiran Excavation Site (1996)

Outside the charming city of Solo in Central Java lies one of the most important sites in the history of human evolution. Excavations at this site, led by German archeologist G.H.R. von Königswald from 1936 to 1941, uncovered the first known hominid fossils. In the following years, excavations discovered fossil believed to belong to the first human ancestors, Pithecanthropus erectus (“Java Man.”)

Lorentz National Park (1999)

Slightly smaller than the US state of Oregon, Lorentz National Park is located at the eastern tip of the archipelago. From the eternal snow on of the world’s seven highest summits to exceptional tropical marine environments to extensive lowland wetlands, the park offers striking contrasts that are perfect for adventurers.

Distinctive, indigenous cultures such as the Amungme, West Dani and Komorohave have their roots in the region.

Tropical Rainforest of Sumatra (2004)

Sumatran tigers, Sumatran elephants and Sumatran orangutans are among the many inhabitants of this site, which comprises three national parks: Gunung Leuser, Kerinci Seblat and Bukit Barisan Selatan, which together are home to an estimated 10,000 species of plants, more than 200 species of mammals, and some 600 species of birds, of which 465 are resident and 21 are endemic.

The Subak System: Cultural Landscape of Bali (2012)

Recently named a world cultural heritage site, the Subak reflects the philosophy of Tri Hita Karana, which brings together the realms of spirit, human and nature. A water temple sits at the center of the site, and a priest is in charge of dividing the water. The democratic farming practices here have enabled the Balinese to become the most effective rice growers in the archipelago.

Burufly

Obama and First Family to Wear Sarongs for Borobudur Visit

Jakarta Globe, February 13, 2010

Ever imagined you would get to see the most powerful man in the world clad in a Javanese sarong, possibly even donning rubber sandals? A treat is definitely in store for those who have.

According to Central Java Governor Bibit Waluyo, sarongs will remain the order of the day for all visitors to Central Java’s famed Borobudur Temple, including US President Barack Obama, his wife, first lady, Michelle Obama and daughters Sasha and Malia.

“I have received information from the Foreign Ministry that the US President, his wife Michelle and two daughters are scheduled to visit Candi Borobudur on March 22. The [state] visit aside, even the US president’s family must follow the existing regulations applied within the confines of the temple,” Bibit said on Friday.

Purnomo Siswo Prasetyo, chief executive of PT Taman Wisata Candi Borobudur, Prambanan and Ratu Boko, the company that manages the temple site, confirmed Bibit’s statements, adding that the regulation mandating the donning of a sarong and rubber sandals had been put into effect on Feb. 1, and all those visiting the temple must respect the social and religious norms observed.

“I urge US President Obama, his family, and his entourage to please not wear shorts or miniskirts [for the ladies] or leather footwear. As long as one is inside the temple, it is mandatory that one wears a batik sarong and rubber sandals. The same rule applies for dignitaries from overseas. In fact, they should be the ones setting the example,” Purnomo told the Jakarta Globe.

“We have made the central government aware of these rules and all parties involved in the planning of the US president’s visit to Indonesia. We are relieved that they understand these rules and have no objections to following them.”

As previously reported, local worshippers have voiced serious concern over tourists revealing too much skin or wearing footwear, including high heels, that has ended up damaging the temple’s stonework. The temple was built around 800 AD and is believed to have taken about 75 years to construct.

“We keep getting complaints from locals upset about tourists who wear skimpy clothing at Borobudur,” Purnomo had said earlier. Candra Malik

Taufik Darusman: Indonesian Tourism's Unfulfilled Potential

The Jakarta Globe, Taufik Darusman

Beautiful and historic sites like Central Java's Prambanan temple complex deserve to draw more international visitors. (Photo: Achmad Ibrahim, AP)

Saturday night’s Miss Indonesian Tourism 2009 grand final was a much-needed respite to the weeklong political drama involving the nation’s perennial issue of corruption in high places.

The event also reminded us of the tough challenges the tourism sector faces now and in the future: a recent World Economic Forum-sponsored report ranked Indonesia 81st out of 133 countries in terms of competitiveness.

Despite what seem to be the best efforts of the nation’s tourism players, we managed to rise only one rung on the ladder compared to last year’s report.

Among our neighbors, Singapore (10), Malaysia (32), Thailand (39) and Brunei (69) fared much better. But if it is any consolation, we bested the Philippines (86), Vietnam (89) and Cambodia (108).

Clearly, something is amiss here, but this has not prevented tourism officials from setting a target of seven million foreign tourists visiting Indonesia next year.

That is a modest increase of 500,000 over this year’s target of 6.5 million foreign tourist arrivals.

As a country that has everything that tourists usually find desirable — natural beauty, exotic culture, comfortable facilities and friendly people — Indonesia deserves to be visited by more than seven million foreigners a year.

By comparison, Malaysia, which in many ways comes close to what Indonesia has to offer, last year managed to attract 21 million foreign tourists — three times as many as what Indonesia looks forward to seeing next year.

Malaysia’s aggressive and imaginative promotion schemes have paid off handsomely; their officials seem to have touched the right nerve in foreigners and have enticed them to the country in droves.

A business principle says that if you believe you have a good product at a reasonable price but it doesn’t sell as well as it should, there must be something wrong with the marketing plan. Or, we might have the right game plan but the wrong kind of people tasked to execute it.

The situation becomes worse if you think you have the right plan as well as the right kind of people behind it, though in truth you have neither.

Compounding the problem is the smug attitude in thinking you have such a good product that it hardly needs to be promoted. The official annual budget to promote Indonesia’s tourism sector is a mere $15 million. That sum roughly amounts to what provinces spend in a year on banners and traditional dances to welcome officials from Jakarta to officiate government projects in the regions.

In a perfect world, if $15 million brings in a little more than six million foreign tourists in a year, doubling the promotion budget should translate into more than 12 million overseas visitors.

But we don’t live in a perfect world, so more creative methods are needed to realize our full tourism potential. The key is having the magnanimity to acknowledge that the current plan does not work. Some deep soul-searching is called for to review the entire game plan, including high-level lobbying with related ministers and legislators.

Tourism is not a standalone sector but, as many experts have pointed out, one that requires an integrated approach involving other ministries.

Malaysia’s success in attracting 21 million foreign tourists a year may be a tough act for our tourism officials and players to follow, but bringing in a mere 6.5 million foreign tourists in the same period borders on the ridiculous.

In the past we had Telecommunications and Tourism Minister Joop Ave and his wealth of imagination, which put Indonesia on the world’s tourism map. The former career diplomat is credited with having spearheaded the development of Bali’s tourism enclave, Nusa Dua, making the island what it is today: one of the most favored destinations in the world.

Not surprisingly, several Asean countries, Thailand in particular, have sought Ave’s advice.

Many observers have already commented that the much-awaited development of Lombok Island into a tourist destination, mired in bureaucracy and political impasses, would have long ago become a reality were Ave in charge of it.

These other Asean countries have creatively adopted the Deng Xiaoping Principle on deploying cats to catch rats: It doesn’t really matter if the person at the helm is a fellow countryman, as long as he can help them develop their tourism potential.

The point is clear: Officials have to realize that tourism is too important to be left only to their unworkable politically driven instincts and personal whims.

Taufik Darusman is a veteran Jakarta-based journalist.

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$9.3m initiative launched in Indonesia

TTN Worldwide, by Brian Salter

INDONESIA has launched an initiative to bring back the tourism in the country in the aftermath of the two hotel bombings in Jakarta. The two hotels, the Ritz-Carlton and Marriott, have long since resumed normal operations and the industry is looking to make up lost ground in a year which had seen an increase in international tourism arrivals.

The Borobudur Stupa in Java, Indonesia

Tourism Minister Jero Wacik announced that the government will be injecting $9.3 million into the ministry’s tourism recovery programme, and that all major hotels had also tightened up security measures for visitors, including stricter control at airports.

One tourist attraction in the country that has not seen any economic downturn is Borobudur – the world’s largest and many would argue most beautiful Buddhist temple, which is decorated with 2,672 relief panels and 504 Buddha statues. It lies in Yogyakarta – Indonesia’s third largest city, whose fortunes are largely dependent on tourism.

Borobudur, constructed on a hill and consisting of eight layers, is the single most visited tourist attraction in Indonesia. In 1974, 260,000 tourists - of whom 36,000 were foreigners - visited the monument. Within 20 years, this figure rose to 2.5 million visitors annually (of whom 80 per cent were domestic tourists).

In the first four months of 2009, visitor numbers were up by 10 per cent on the previous year to 614,000, with January showing a 30 per cent hike in visitors. Foreign visitors make up only six per cent of that mix albeit that their numbers have been increasing at the same rate, although it is too early to ascertain what effect the recent bombings in Jakarta will have on these figures.

Similar numbers are recorded at the Prambanan Hindu temples compound which is the biggest temple complex in Java. There are 224 temples altogether, with three on the central terrace at up to 47 metres high dominating the complex. Following the May 2006 earthquake, however, many parts of Prambanan are roped off to visitors until they are eventually made safe.

While visitor numbers are increasing, what is noticeable is their change of origin. Yogyakarta’s Hyatt Regency hotel caters predominantly for Japanese tourists, and bookings from Japan have fallen sharply, perhaps by as much as 30 per cent. The more downmarket ibis, however, which caters mainly for domestic visitors, is almost permanently full; and the Amanjiwo – one of the five top end luxury boutique Aman resorts in the country, where rates start at $700 per night rising to $2,600 for its top suite – continues to attract visitors from all corners of the globe, especially the Middle East.

Amanjiwo is almost a destination in its own right, lying within a natural amphitheatre at the foot of the Menoreh Hills overlooking Borobudur.

By any measure, Yogyakarta must surely rank as one of the most beautiful tourist destinations in the country – a veritable jewel in the crown of Indonesia.

Sacred circle

The Jakarta Post, Antara | Wed, 03/25/2009 12:02 PM

A group of Hindus walk to circle the Prambanan Temple in Yogyakarta on Wednesdday as part of a ritual to celebrate the Nyepi Holiday. (Antara/Regina Safri)

Akishino concerned about Prambanan

Slamet Susanto and Tarko Sudiarno, The Jakarta Post, Bantul

Japanese Prince Fumihito Akishimo said he was amazed Wednesday at the beauty of the seventh century Prambanan Temple, but was also concerned about its damaged state after the massive Yogyakarta earthquake in 2006.

"The prince was worried about the damage caused by the earthquake and said he hoped it could be restored soon," said Herni Pramastuti, supervisor of the Central Java Preservation and Cultural Heritage Center, who accompanied the prince on his visit to Prambanan Temple.

The prince, however, did not say whether he would provide assistance for the restoration, Herni said. The Japanese government has so far provided around Rp 800 million (approximately US$88,800) to restore Garuda Temple located east of Prambanan.

Herni said it would take a long time and a lot of money to renovate Prambanan Temple. The United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has so far provided Rp 500 million to restore Prambanan Temple.

During the visit to Prambanan, Prince Akishimo was accompanied by his wife, Princess Kiko, who asked many questions about the meaning of the reliefs on the temple walls.

"She was very curious and often asked for explanations about the reliefs inside the temple, especially the animal figures," Herni said.

During the tour, Prince Akishimo often stopped to take photos of the temple and surroundings with his pocket camera.

Before visiting Prambanan Temple, Akishimo also visited SMPN II Pleret junior high school in Bantul, Yogyakarta, which was rebuilt by the Japanese government after the earthquake.

During the 20-minute visit, Akishimo, escorted by Yogyakarta Education Office head Sugito and Bantul Regent Idham Samawi, said he was impressed by the children's rapid recovery from post-quake trauma.

"He was pleased not only at the speed of the reconstruction work but also with people's psychological recovery, especially the school children," Idham said.

Akishimo made positive remarks about students' extra curricular studies in Bantul, which included music and handicrafts, Idham said.

"Very good, you are clever," Idham said, citing the prince as they watched students engaged in pottery making.

Akishimo presented a memento to the school, in the form of a ceramic rooster produced by a village in Japan. For Akishimo, the rooster has added meaning since he has conducted research on poultry and previously had visited Indonesia for the purpose.

Akishimo also attended an informal meeting and banquet on Wednesday hosted by Gadjah Mada University rector Sudjarwadi.

"The meeting focussed more on education and cultural issues since UGM has so far established good ties with a number of universities in Japan," Sudjarwadi said after the meeting.

Quake-hit temples need years of repairs

The China Post , 2007/5/26

By Presi Mandari PRAMBANAN, Indonesia, AFP

Damage to one of Indonesia's most spectacular temple complexes caused by last year's devastating Java earthquake was so extensive that repairs will take at least five years, UNESCO says.

Some of the temples at Prambanan are threatening to topple and restoration of the entire Hindu compound, the largest in the country, will be slow and difficult, according to the UN culture agency.

"It's not just putting back the stones, like a facelift," said UNESCO's Himalchuli Gurung, adding that repair work has not yet started.

"There has been physical and structural damage, and there are a lot of internal cracks," she said.

One estimate has put the cost of rebuilding the UNESCO World Heritage site at US$5.8 million.

The extent of the damage has raised fears for the local economy as Indonesia marks one year since the May 27 quake, which destroyed villages and killed almost 6,000 on the main island of Java.

The ninth and 10th century temples -- dedicated to the Hindu gods Shiva, Vishnu and Brahma -- are located about 20 kilometers (10 miles) east of Yogyakarta, the main city in the quake zone.

Prambanan, like the nearby Borobudur temple compound which emerged unscathed, is one of the premier tourist attractions in Central Java, drawing 1.5 million visitors a year, according to the provincial tourism office.

Since the quake, an iron fence has been erected around the main group of temples and safety concerns mean visitors are barred from venturing inside.

"The problem is stones have been dislodged and some are hanging from the top. They could easily fall off," said Sutopo, an official at Prambanan.

He said cracks as wide as five centimeters (two inches) in the main temple devoted to Shiva have been plugged with candle wax to stop water seeping in and corrupting the stones.

Locals selling souvenirs said business has dwindled since the quake and some tourists leave dejected.

"Of course they are disappointed, they have already paid an entrance fee but are unable to go inside," said Eko Widianto, who has sold gifts here for about 20 years.

Titin Prihati, who sells cold drinks at the compound, said he was fearful about the future as sales have plummeted 60 percent.

"There were many more tourists coming before. The car parks were full, especially on public holidays. But now less tourists are coming and that means less income for me," said Prihati.

Repairs are expected to start later this year. Experts from UNESCO, the Indonesian government and other agencies have spent 12 months conducting extensive damage assessments, and devising an action plan.

Gurung said a big concern was the depth of cracks in the temples, which may have severely weakened their structure.

"When you look at the physical damage, falling stones, falling pinnacles, broken stones, we can place them back. But the serious part is the internal structural cracks, we don't know how deep (they are)," she said.

"Some temples have inclined, they are tilting," she added.

The Indian government is among those ready to help with restoration work, said T.S. Tirumurti, India's deputy chief of mission in Indonesia.

Professor Ostelio Remi, director of the Istituto Italiano di Cultura in Jakarta, said "everything threatens to fall, from the base up to the top."

"It is a universal heritage, among the most beautiful in the world. It has to be saved, whatever the cost," added Remi, who has consulted with UNESCO on damage assessment.

Bali Film Center puts RI on int'l locations map

Trisha Sertori, Contributor, Denpasar

The Jakarta Post

Feature films need far more than a good script coupled with some high-profile actors to make a profit. As the saying goes, "location, location, location" is often as much the star of the film as the actors: Selling those locations to the film industry is as competitive as any Hollywood audition.

But talent will out and the spotlight is now shining on Indonesia, due largely to a proactive stance taken by the Culture and Tourism Ministry and the Bali Film Centre (BFC), which attended in mid-April the Association of Film Commissioners International Film Locations Trade Show in Santa Monica, California, with outstanding results.

Indonesia even made the cover of Locations Magazine 2007, the filmmaker's bible of international film locations.

At Santa Monica, the BFC presented Indonesian film locations and the low-production costs of doing business here -- as it had also done in March at the Hong Kong International Film Festival and its Filmart's Locations World Expo.

And presentation pays off. Film industry heavyweight RGM Associates aims to produce 10 feature films in Asia in the coming years, and Indonesia is well placed to be the "the next runaway film destination (location)".

According to BFC director Deborah Gabinetti, a former New York casting agent and international film locations promoter, RGM had a US$100 million proposal on the table for an epic film using an Indonesian backdrop.

Warner Bros. Locations Executive Bill Bowling met with Bakri M.M. of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism in Hong Kong, a meeting that has resulted in "positive results with ideas for future film projects", according to Gabinetti.

The high level of interest in Indonesia as a prime film location was echoed throughout the Santa Monica Film Locations Trade Show and Locations World Expo, said Gabinetti, with over 50 expressions of interest for Indonesian film locations and six film proposals already under discussion.

And with 18,000-plus islands spanning more than 5,000 kilometers, crossing two hemispheres and possessing a geographical diversity that takes in the monumental architecture of Borobudur and Prambanan, rainforests, mountains, deserts, glaciers, dense cityscapes and seas, Indonesia is representative of almost every environment in the world. It presents the perfect backdrop for just about any film production.

But it is not just the physical environment that makes Indonesia such an attractive package for international location scouts, stressed Gabinetti.

"We do have the most diverse locations in the world. But we also have the human resources to back that up. We have the master craftsmen to build backdrops, the additional cameramen often needed on feature films, the catering, costumes. There is so much that goes on behind the scenes and production houses utilize those human resources," she said.

For example, she cited the 40 local crew members and more than 100 extras who were employed by director Marc Esposito during the making of Toute la Beaute du Monde in Bali and Lombok as just the tip of the iceberg with regard to the dollars generated for Indonesia via international film productions here.

Add to this the international advertising the archipelago gains through film production and the offshoot of greater tourist numbers, and the country's cash register starts to ring.

The verified 50 percent increase in Korean tourism to Indonesia following the release of a Korean television program set on Bali, and the anecdotal leap in French visitors to Lombok and Bali following the French release of Toute la Beaute du Monde, highlight the value of international film productions to the nation's tourism said Gabinetti.

"A film has a seven-year life span from the original theater release to DVD, syndication and cable," she said. "Compare that coverage of a location like Bali to the average tourism advertisement that runs between 15 and 30 seconds at exorbitant cost. Film leaves an impression, an experience. Like Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings and New Zealand, you want to see that place."

She points out that during the production of Lord of the Rings, 125,000 New Zealanders were employed, making the project that nation's largest single employer, with a matching crossover spike in Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Ongoing rewards are still being reaped through New Zealand's growing tourism on the back of the film, a direct result of the blockbuster trilogy.

"A similar scenario can be seen in what the film Out of Africa did for Kenya," Gabinetti added.

But as mentioned earlier, it takes more than Indonesia's pretty face in the locations industry to go up against countries that have already seen the dollar value in location promotion.

Gabinetti said incentives to bring international film production houses to Indonesia were vital if the country is to take advantage of the strong interest already being shown by world players such as RGM Associates and Warner Bros.

"We need to be able to offer incentives that compare with our competing location countries to ensure the Indonesian locations get up," she stressed. "At present, other countries will win if they have similar locations because here there is, at present, no real incentives -- and we are trying to address that so Indonesia can compete in this market with its neighboring countries."

With government-sponsored incentives, Gabinetti continued, there is real opportunity for Indonesia to become a major film locations center; when the human and location resources of the nation are considered alongside such incentives, Indonesia is a winner, hands-down.

"While we do not yet have an incentives system in place, what we do have is the ability to undercut most other countries in production costs by at least 10 percent. When you are talking of $100 million-dollar film projects, that adds up to a substantial figure.

"Because of those low production costs created by reasonable non-union labor, master craftsmen who can create sets, plenty of film extras and more than 360 ethnic groups, we have not only the landscapes, but also the 'humanscape'," said Gabinetti.

She added that the Indonesian government was supportive of international film production and was displaying a rapidly growing understanding of the international film and television industries' potential value to the nation.

Films currently slated for or undergoing production in Indonesia are director Angus Strachan's Between Two Worlds; Malaysian film company G.S. Production's interpretation of Gill Marais' book, Bali Sacred and Secret; Bristol Films' Women of the Tribe being filmed on Mentawai Island; a BBC 1 documentary on orangutan release in Kalimantan, with several more in an advanced stage of discussions.