Bali to drop glamorous celebrations from agenda<\/p>\n
Rita A. Widiadana, The Jakarta Post, Denpasar, Bali<\/p>\n
This Saturday night, the opulent Ritz-Carlton Hotel chain in
\nJimbaran, Bali, some 15 kilometers south of Denpasar, was
\nscheduled to host Indonesia's rich and famous during its
\nanniversary celebration.<\/p>\n
An extravagant fashion show, dubbed Fashion Fusion, was
\ncarefully well-planned to display the latest creations of Los-
\nAngeles-based designer Tadashi and several local big names like
\nAdjie Notonegoro, Carmanita, Kiata Kiwanda and jewelry designer
\nSuarti.<\/p>\n
Preceded by a champagne party, the hotel's planned gala dinner
\nwould have become one of Bali's most captivating events of the
\nyear.<\/p>\n
It was scheduled well before the Oct. 12 bombing which deeply
\ndistressed the Balinese people, Australians and other nations
\nwhose citizens fell victims to the tragedy.<\/p>\n
Paul Czuba, the hotel's director of sales and marketing, said
\nin a statement that the hotel did not consider it appropriate to
\nhold such a glamorous event while the entire island was still
\ngrieving.<\/p>\n
\"Instead, we would really like to invite people to attend a
\nspecial prayer for the victims of the bombing,\" Czuba stated.<\/p>\n
The Ritz-Carlton's Fashion Fusion is just one of a dozen of
\nentertainment events scheduled to take place between October and
\nDecember -- the high season in Bali when thousands of domestic
\nand foreign visitors were expected to spend their holidays here.
\nLocal organizers have geared up to promote the now canceled
\nconcert of American rock group the Red Hot Chili Peppers,
\nscheduled to be on stage at the Garuda Wisnu Kencana on Dec. 26,
\nas well as an International Fireworks competition, originally
\nscheduled between Dec. 29 through Jan. 2.<\/p>\n
In the last few years, Bali, previously known as Indonesia's
\nsafest place, has hosted numerous local and international
\nconferences, exhibitions, arts and cultural activities.<\/p>\n
Last May, Bali successfully organized the United Nations
\nsponsored Preparatory-Committee (Prep Com) IV for Sustainable
\nDevelopment conference.<\/p>\n
Levie Martin, public relations manager at the Bali
\nInternational Convention Center (BICC), explained that there were
\nseveral events to be held at BICC this month but were postponed
\nfor indefinitely.<\/p>\n
\"Before the bombing, Bali gained its credibility as a perfect
\nplace for business and pleasure. Now, we have to revise our
\nschedules,\" Levie said.<\/p>\n
The prospects for the convention business or MICE in Bali will
\nlikely remain gloomy unless the perpetrators of the Kuta
\nterrorism are revealed and brought to justice.<\/p>\n
People in the country's tourism industry, however, were quick
\nto act in a bid to try to reverse a possibly bleak situation.<\/p>\n
The State Ministry of Culture and Tourism, for instance, has
\ncoordinated with the country's related tourism industry to set up
\nstrategic and comprehensive recovery plans. Coordinating Minister
\nfor Economic Affairs Dorojatun Kuntjoro-Jakti confirmed on Monday
\nthat national-scale conferences and meetings would be moved to
\nBali.<\/p>\n
Elsewhere, other encouraging news has come about.<\/p>\n
The Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA), a leading travel
\nand tourism association in the Pacific and Asian region that
\nrecently canceled its conference in Banten, has said it is
\nstrongly committed to assisting the ministry of tourism and the
\nlocal Balinese tourism industry to overcome the Bali bomb crisis
\nand begin to develop a recovery plan.<\/p>\n
Peter Semone, vice president of PATA, said during his stay in
\nBali when the bombing occurred on Oct. 12, that the organization
\nwas committed to the creation of a tourism recovery task force
\ncomprised of tourism experts from around the world.<\/p>\n
\"PATA plans to continue with its intention to hold the 2003
\nAnnual Conference in Bali in April 2003. It is hoped that as many
\nas 1,500 tourism leaders from around the world will attend, \"
\nconfirmed Semone.<\/p>\n
PATA was set up in l952 to grow and enhance travel and tourism
\nin the Pacific region. Today, PATA has a global network to serve
\nthe interests of tourism in the world's fastest growing tourism
\nregion.<\/p>\n
As a collaborative public sector membership-based
\norganization, it has approximately 1,000 members worldwide,
\nincluding 60 governments, 60 regional government agencies, tour
\noperators, educational institutions. PATA has more than 80
\nchapters around the world. PATA is headquartered in Bangkok
\n(Thailand) and has regional offices and representative offices in
\nSydney, Monaco and Oakland in California.<\/p>",
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