President Habibie to visit Bali Travel Mart next week

President Habibie to visit Bali Travel Mart next week

JAKARTA (JP): President B.J. Habibie is expected to attend
Bali's first annual international tourism event, the Bali Travel
Mart, later this month, an official said on Monday.

Head of the provincial office of the Ministry of Tourism, Arts
and Culture, Luther Barrung, told Antara the president was
expected to arrive in Bali on June 23 or June 24.

Bali Travel Mart will be held from June 22 to June 26 in Nusa
Dua and is scheduled to be opened by Minister of Tourism, Arts
and Culture Marzuki Usman.

The organizer expects 300 international buyers and 500 local
sellers to participate in the event's three activities.

The event will consist of three main components: Bali Tourism
Expo, which will be a major trade and consumer tourism
exposition, featuring, crafts and export goods; Bali Tourism
Forum, a one-day seminar on tourism marketing in Bali; and Bali
Travex '99, where buyers and sellers will get together to forge
new connections.

"Some 230 buyers from countries including South Africa,
Europe, Australia, Asia, America, Middle East and Japan have
confirmed participation in Travex alone," Barrung said.

He said 203 sellers from various provinces in the country had
also confirmed participation in Travex to be held from June 24 to
June 26.

National flag carrier Garuda Indonesia Airlines and Singapore
Airlines support the event by inviting and transporting selected
buyers and travel writers from Asia, Japan, Europe, America and
Australia.

He said former minister of arts and culture Joop Ave, now
special assistant to the president for tourism, current tourism
minister Marzuki Usman and Bali Tourism Development Corporation
president director Anak Agung Gede Rai would participate in the
one-day Tourism Forum on June 23.

Participants of the event will have the opportunity to observe
the Bali Art Festival, which will open on the same date of the
event's closing date of June 26.(cst)