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Bali vows joyful IMF-WB meeting

Under sunny skies and surrounded by turquoise water on the Island of the Gods, global economic leaders are unlikely to just be crunching numbers at their upcoming meeting in Bali

Farida Susanty (The Jakarta Post)
Nusa Dua
Sat, August 26, 2017

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Bali vows joyful IMF-WB meeting

U

nder sunny skies and surrounded by turquoise water on the Island of the Gods, global economic leaders are unlikely to just be crunching numbers at their upcoming meeting in Bali. Most will also enjoy some leisure time exploring the province’s cultural and natural beauty.

Selected as the fourth country in the ASEAN region to host an IMF-World Bank annual meeting, Bali is set to offer delegates unforgettable moments during the event in October next year — and at the same time charm the world as a tourist destination.

Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati, a former World Bank managing director, stated that the IMF-World Bank annual meeting could generate income of US$100 million, mostly from accommodation for participants.

More than 15,000 people from 189 countries are expected to join the Fund’s annual event, ranging from official delegations of central bank governors and finance ministers to economists, corporate executives and international observers.

“During the low season [of October], 15,000 delegates will stay here for the meeting. [The potential income] will be incredible, with the current hotel rates or with slightly increased rates [due to the event],” she said on Friday.

The number of visitors could be even higher, as participants might bring along family members. The government estimates that the total number of visitors related to the event might hit 30,000.

Sri Mulyani said “the world is coming to Indonesia” in a rare event that should be maximized to promote tourism. The government, she said, would provide around 60 special tourism packages during the event.

“We have complete packages, within Bali and outside of Bali, with amazing prices for spas, hiking and diving,” Sri Mulyani added.

She also noted that emerging destinations outside of Bali would be highlighted, including the home of the Komodo dragon, Komodo Island in Labuan Bajo, East Nusa Tenggara, the neighboring island of Lombok in West Nusa Tenggara, the world heritage site of Borobudur Temple in Central Java, the mystical Toraja in South Sulawesi and the scenic Lake Toba in North Sumatra.

To support the effort, the government has allocated Rp 868 billion ($65 million) in budget funds for the event, including for overhauling infrastructure and preparing cultural events.

Tourism is one of the main sectors to be developed in the country under President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s administration, which aims to develop 10 emerging destinations across Indonesia, called the “New Bali.”

Bali itself has been known for decades as one of the main tourist destinations in Southeast Asia, attracting distinguished world leaders and popular figures. This year, Saudi Arabia’s King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and former United States president Barack Obama paid visits to the island of four million inhabitants.

Bali Tourism Board (GIPI) chairman Ida Bagus Agung Partha Adnyana said more than 300 hotels near Nusa Dua and Jimbaran could accommodate heightened demand during the event. He expected the government to not offer cliché packages such as beach visits, but also culinary explorations and village visits.

He noted an increase in tourist arrivals from the Middle East and China following King Salman’s visit. Chinese visitors dominate foreign visits with a 45 percent increase year-on-year (yoy) increase to 996,574 visitors in the first half of this year.

Meanwhile, World Bank vice president and corporate secretary Yvonne Tsikata said that from her experience, the participants might come to the country before the event starts or stay after it for a vacation.

“This will not be a one-off. There will be future benefits [for Indonesia]. Even people who weren’t aware of Indonesia can come back as tourists [later],” she said.

Bank Permata economist Joshua Pardede predicted that the IMF-World Bank annual meeting would boost Bali’s economic growth next year to around 7 percent. In the first quarter of 2017, Bali’s economy grew by 5.75 percent yoy, outpacing the natinoal growth rate of 5.01 percent.

“There are direct and indirect impacts from tourism. Economic growth can be boosted to 6 percent or 7 percent from the hotel and restaurant business, as well as other industries related to tourism,” he said.

Bank Indonesia (BI) spokesman Peter Jacobs, who also serves as IMF-WB annual meeting task force chairman, expects the event to help boost meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE) activities in Bali in the long run.

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