Press Releases

August issue of Yayasan Kemanusian Ibu Pertiwi (YKIP) reporting their latest news on their projects

Tourism Emergency Response Network (TERN), established in early 2006 with PATA as a founding member, has released the second issue of its Avian Flu Digest. The network, which aims to assist stakeholders in the tourism sector prepare for a potential avian flu pandemic, highlighted the following key message:- Avian Flu is a disease essentially impacting fowl. ? Cases of the disease passing from animals to humans are rare. ? No efficient human-to-human transmission strain has developed. ? Public education reduces the risk of avian-to-human transmission. There is no present threat to tourists and there is no cause for restricting travel. If travelling to flu-infected localities, the best advice is to avoid contact with live birds of any variety. PATA members are encouraged to forward this key message to their customers and colleagues.

Bali Hotels Association has registered to take part in community-led environmental campaign, Clean Up the World, on 15-17 September 2006

Prevention Measures Receive Added Sense of Urgency in Wake of Latest Earthquake ? Tsunami Disaster in Java. Bali Unscathed by July 17, 2006 Earthquake. The latest series of earthquakes to devastate parts of Java's southern coast on Monday, July 17, 2006, have added a new national sense of urgency to efforts to develop a nation-wide tsunami detection system and emergency response program for natural disasters. The latest quake, which struck shortly after 3 p.m. on July 17th, devastated a 177 km stretch of Java?s southern coast in the Pangandaran region, some 900 km west of Bali. While the earthquake and resulting tidal wave are now credited with causing nearly 600 deaths, hundreds of injuries and substantial property damage ? Bali was completely untouched by the disaster as local resident did not feel the tremor. Local port authorities attribute a sudden rise of 20 cm in local tidal levels on Bali's shoreline to the after effects of the earthquake. The most recent major earthquake occurred less than 2 months after a devastating earthquake near Yogyakarata and Central Java on May 27, 2006 that claimed more than 6,000 lives; and less than 2 years after the December 26, 2004 North Sumatran earthquake and tidal wave that killed more than 230,000 people in 12 countries. President Promises Urgent Action on Tsunami Warning System Following the latest tragedy, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has pledged that a nation-wide tsunami warning system will be in operation by mid-2008, accelerating earlier completion dates for a program already underway by the Government. In Bali, local officials checking tsunami warning devices installed in recent months were shocked on Tuesday, one day after the latest quake, to discover that one of the off-shore warning buoys had been stolen on the same day that the earthquake hit Java's coats. The buoy, part of a 21.6 meter long semi submerged tower assembly, had been serviced by coastal officials only one day before it went missing. Upon discovery of the theft, a replacement tower was immediately installed. Local authorities are in the process of installing tsunami warning system detectors along all major tourism beaches in Bali. When completed, detectors will be in place on Kuta Beach opposite the Hard Rock Hotel, Seminyak Beach opposite the Double Six Club, Petitengert Beach, Kedonganan Beach, Nusa Dua, at Air Tanjung and Sanur Beach.

SIX locations in Bali will get a Tsunami early Warning System by August. The Meteorogy and Geophysics Agency (BMG) Bali-Nusa Tenggara head, Mr. Budiman told the local media the warning system would be placed at the beaches of Kuta, Seminyak, Peti Tenget, Kedongangan, Nusa Dua, Tanjung Benoa, and Sanur.

Japan International Cooperation (JICA) has rated Bali's Ngurah Rai International Airport as Indonesia's best Security equipped airport, giving ratings of 100%,said Chadik Wibowo, Aviation Security Manager of PT. Angkasa Pura Ngurah Rai Branch. This Evaluation was made after thorough checks at six Indonesian international airports, reports Bisnis Indonesia. Medan's Polinia Airport was given rating of 63%, as was the Sam Ratulangi airport in Manado; with Hasanuddin Airport of Makassar at 56%. Whereas, the Soerkarno-Hatta in Jakarta was rated at 50%; Adisucipto airport in Yogyakarta also at 50%; while the Sepinggan at Balikpapan was lowest at 25%. After August 2005, Bali's Internationa Airport received aviation security equipment and has strengthened its security personel by increasing the number threefold to 705 persons,which include Airport Security Police, and special Air Force troops.

Clean up the World program scheduled for 15-17 September 2006. The attched file is 2006 membership registration form for any hotels, companies or orginisations who wants to joint this event.

Closer Jakarta-Stockholm Relations Clear the Way for Visa-on-Arrival Facility for Swedish Visitors. Swedish tourists have now been added to the list of foreigners who can obtain a visa-on-arrival when visiting Bali and Indonesia commencing from March 15, 2006. Swedish visitors now join the list of 37 foreign nationals eligible to purchase either a 7 or 30 day visa on arrival upon landing at one of Indonesia's international gateway cities. A 30-day visa is obtained upon paying US$30 and a 7-day visa for US$10. The introduction of the new visa policy is the resuly of a recent thawing in bi-lateral relations between Stockholm and Jakarta following the announcement of a peace accord in Aceh, North Sumatra. Visa Practicalities from balidiscovery.com : http://www.balidiscovery.com/other/visa_policy.asp

For the fourth time, Bali is once again The World's Best Island for the year of 2005. Several destinations have their best World's Best performance ever, including Prague, Chiang Mai, Thailand, Hobart, Tasmania and Ester Island, Chile.

The News From Bali was published by BHA in February in conjunction with the Bali Tourism Board and Bali Tourism Authority to communicate the positive measures that have been taken since the October 1st 2005 bombings