RI generates Rp 117 billion from Dutch travel expo

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Mon, 01/17/2011

Taking part in a six-day travel expo in Utrecht, the Netherlands, Indonesia generated Rp 117 billion (US$ 12.5 million), far below last year’s figure of Rp 200 billion.

The Culture and Tourism Ministry said this year’s figure was a result of transactions obtained by 18 travel bureaus and tourism operators from Indonesia that took part in the Vakantiebeurs (Holiday Bourse), which ended on Sunday evening.

Among participants that attracted a lot of visitors was a spa company. All of its products, including aromatherapy goods, sold out and some visitors reportedly expressed an interest in opening a branch in the Netherlands, kompas.com reported.

Data from the Culture and Tourism Ministry revealed that from January to November 2010, around 142,100 Dutch tourists came to Indonesia. This was far below the number from Singapore (988,500), Malaysia (934,700) and Australia (662,700).

Banyan Tree Ungasan unveils new villas in Bali, Indonesia

Travel Daily News, Monday, December 07, 2009

Located on the vibrant island of Bali, Banyan Tree Ungasan is scheduled to open on 1 January 2010. Boasting panoramic ocean views, the hotel will offer guests the largest infinity pools in Bali and award-winning spa treatments.

Just a short drive from the thriving beaches of Kuta, Seminyak and Sanur the luxury resort is designed to offer absolute privacy and seclusion. Perched 70 metres above sea level on the cliff-top of the island’s southernmost peninsula, the five star resort offers stunning vistas of the Indian Ocean. Each of the 73 pool villas is set in its own landscaped garden with a private infinity pool, marble bathroom with sunken baths, and a Balinese bale (outdoor pavilion).

Ideal for couples, families and friends, each of the 11 Sanctuary Villas and three triple-bedroom Presidential Villas features a 12-metre and 25-metre-long infinity pool respectively. The landscape gardens are perfect for private celebrations and the Presidential Villa even comes with a dedicated spa treatment room and dedicated fitness area.

Guests will be able to take their pick from three restaurants - Ju-Ma-Na restaurant will offer gourmet seafood menus where guests can watch the chefs at work in the display kitchen, or choose to dine overlooking dramatic cliff-edge scenery. The adjacent Ju-Ma-Na Bar offers sundowners along with Arabic finger food and Moroccan shishas (water pipes). Tamarind, set in the tranquil surroundings of the Banyan Tree Spa, will serve a variety of organic dishes, alongside a menu of Jamu herbal drinks, and Bambu will present popular international and local specialties.

For the ultimate relaxing getaway guests can treat themselves at the award-winning Banyan Tree Spa offering treatments delivered by professional spa therapists, trained at the exclusive Banyan Tree Spa Academy in Phuket, Thailand. Designed to reflect unique Indonesian healing traditions the treatments incorporate natural, indigenous ingredients. Signature treatments include Ayurvedic treatments and Rainmist therapies such as the 180-minute Javanese Lulur treatment, which includes the Serenity Massage, Lulur Scrub, and Honey Avocado Conditioner.

Bali named world's best spa destination

Ni Komang Erviani, The jakarta post, Denpasar | Wed, 03/25/2009 1:55 PM

The resort island of Bali garnered yet another international accolade this year when it was named the Best Spa Tourism Destination in the World 2009 by Berlin-based fitness magazine Senses.

Culture and Tourism Minister Jero Wacik presented the award Tuesday to Bali Governor Made Mangku Pastika in Denpasar. Earlier in March, the ministry's director general of marketing, Sapta Nirwandar, received the award on behalf of the Balinese people from the magazine during the annual International Tourism Bourse (ITB) in Berlin.

"I want to congratulate *the Bali administration and people* for this award. It proves that Bali is still recognized *as a top tourism destination* by the world," Jero said.

The ministry's director for overseas promotion, Gede Pitana, said the award was a prestigious one since the magazine was the second largest in Berlin with a readership of 60,000. The nomination and selection process, he added, was carried out by a team of 200 experts on spa and tourism.

"The award is obvious evidence that Bali still has a competitive edge against other top world destinations, such as the Maldives and Thailand," he said.

Governor Pastika stated the accolade would be yet another prize in the island's trophy cabinet. Previously, the island received various awards from several international tourism publications, including being named Best Destination in the World by Travel & Leisure magazine.

"The award is the result of the excellent services provided by the island's spa operators," he said.

But Pastika warned that the Balinese should not be carried away by a sense of overconfidence because of the award. He pointed out the island's tourism was still embroiled in many problems, such as mounting piles of garbage, floods, traffic jams, unlicensed travel guides, illegal villas, long queues caused by the visa-on-arrival policy, and illegal retribution targeting foreign visitors. "There are a lot of problems that we must cope with to improve and enhance our tourism industry. Defending an award is a lot harder than getting it in the first place," he said.

Indonesia Spas Association (ASPI) chairwoman Mooryati Soedibyo said she was proud of Bali for its achievement.

"It means that spas have become one of the appealing tourism attractions. Hopefully, spas will attract more visitors, foreign and domestic, to Bali," she said.

There are a total of 600 spas operating across the country, a large number of which are based in Bali.

Bali spa industry told to be environmentally friendly

The Jakarta Post, Fri, 12/05/2008 6:36 PM  

The landscape of spas on Bali seems to change almost hourly given the recent rapid establishment of new spas and hotels. 

The Bali Spa and Wellness Association therefore chose the theme "Nurture, knowledge and network" for its annual seminar on Thursday, where experts discussed various issues catching the attention of the spa industry, such as how spas can become more environmentally friendly. 

"Do you know where your water flows to after the spa treatment? Do you know how much money you could save only by putting a timer onto your hot stone and water heaters?" Amanda Pummer from the Green Asia Group asked. 

Hesitant answers came from the mostly female group. 

Thirty percent of the energy in Bali is consumed by hotels, most of which have luxurious spa areas. Independent spas have not been included in the calculations. 

Amanda said she believed the Bali spa industry could lead the way in "green" spas in Asia by starting with small actions. 

"If we start to measure, we can start to manage. Take your chief engineer with you and start measuring all the outputs of the spa, be it water, gas or electricity." 

The former hotelier encouraged participants by saying that precious groundwater and luxurious water treatments could be eco-friendly if the usage, design and treatment were considered. 

Everybody in the room agreed that Bali must be protected from the environmental impacts of the tourism industry -- but where exactly environmental thinking begins is still hard to say. 

"Once hoteliers and spa managers have raised their awareness, we can design smart spas that in the long term save energy and money by having a look at things like lighting and air conditioning systems," spa designer Fabrice Garrigues said. 

Not all members put the environment at the top of their list. 

"Taking a closer look into hotel investment trends, hotels become the objects of short-term calculations," The Pullman Legian manager Robin Deb said. 

"There is a reduced interest of the hotel developer to increase investment such as in a green spa when there is no long-term economic value following from the hotel's operation." 

Maya Ubud Hotel, which is surrounded by a green jungle, takes a proactive role in supporting the island. 

"We don*t use any plastic bottles and our water is reused for gardening after being treated. The whole team is encouraged by management to think a little greener," spa manager Rini said during the seminar. 

Bali is suffering from the effects of improper disposal of nonorganic waste with an increasing amount of plastics, paper and -- especially in spas -- oil, which continues to be a serious issue. 

"Education in schools but also in hotels needs to be one of our priorities," said Paola Cannucciari from eco-Bali.