EAST NUSA TENGGARA GEARS UP TO WELCOME IMF-WB MEETINGS' PARTICIPANTS by Fardah

Jakarta, Feb 27, 2018 (Antara) - The 2018 International Monetary Fund-World Bank (IMF-WB) Annual Meetings, which is one of the largest and influential events in the fields of finance and economy, will be held in Nusa Dua, Bali, on Oct 8-14.

        East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), which is a neighboring province of Bali, is eager to gain economic benefits from the international gathering in which up to 15 thousand people from 189 countries are expected to participate.

        NTT plans to showcase its innate beauty and offer several tourism attractions, such as the Komodo National Park, the sparkling sandy beach of Pede-Labuan Bajo in the district of Manggarai Barat, and Tanjung, which is part of the 17 islands of Riung, in Nagekeo District.

        The province is also known for whale watching at Lembata Beach, the tri-colored crater lakes at Mount Kalimutu called Lake Kalimutu in Ende District, Lake Ranamese in Manggarai District, and Maumere Bay in Sikka District.

        The NTT chapter of the Association of Indonesian Travel Bureaus and Tours (Asita) has prepared 60 tour packages for participants of the IMF-WB Annual Meetings.

        The tours will take foreign guests to Labuan Bajo and Kelimutu, among others, Abed Frans, chairman of the NTT chapter of Asita, had remarked on February 20, 2018.

        The Tourism Ministry has assigned several travel bureaus to offer special tour packages for the participants.

        "Various packages are on offer, including day-long, two-day, and week-long tours. Snorkeling, diving, trekking, and other activities will also be organized," he noted.

        The NTT administration has made various preparations, including renovating several facilities and infrastructure in Labuan Bajo, to welcome thousands of guests expected to visit Flores Island in NTT, following the IMF-WB Annual Meetings to be held in Bali in October 2018.

        Marius Ardu Jelamu, chairman of the NTT tourism office, recently noted that participants will be offered a tour of the Komodo Dragon National Park.

        "We estimate some five to seven thousand foreign guests to visit Labuan Bajo following the Annual Meetings," Jelamu remarked.

        The Komodo Dragon National Park's facilities and infrastructure are currently being renovated or improved to receive foreign guests.

        "The stairs on Padar Island are being repaired, the pier is being renovated, and more toilets are being built," Sudiyono, director of the Komodo Dragon National Park, pointed out.

        The province is optimistic that the visits of the meetings' participants would have a significant impact on the local tourism industry.

        Meanwhile, to promote the unique and enchanting tourist destinations, the NTT provincial government plans to organize at least four major tourism events in 2018.

        The events feature the Komodo Dragon Festival, Tour de Flores cycling and tourism event, Sandalwood Horses Parade and Woven Fabric Festival, and Likurai Dance of War Festival.

        The Komodo Dragon Festival will be held in Labuan Bajo, Flores Island, in March. The Komodo dragon attraction is unique, as NTT is the only habitat of the giant lizards.  
   Founded in 1980, the Komodo National Park is home to the endemic Komodo dragon, the world's only surviving prehistoric giant lizard.

        The park includes the three larger islands of Komodo, Rinca, and Padar as well as numerous smaller ones, with a total area of 1,817 square kilometers.

        In 1977, the Komodo National Park was named a biosphere reserve by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). In 1991, the UNESCO had named the island, home to some three thousand komodo dragons, as a world heritage.

        The population of Komodo dragons at the Komodo National Park had reached 3,012 heads in 2017, according to Sudiyono, the park's head.

        NTT will also organize the Tour de Flores sports tourism event in May. The Likurai Dance of War Festival will be held on Timor Island.

        The 1001 Sandalwood Horses Festival will be organized to coincide with the traditional woven fabric festival on Sumba Island in August 2018.

        The four events were included in the national calendar of tourism events and have become the tourism brands of NTT, he noted.

        Other tourism activities to be organized in NTT this year will be an expo and carnival in Alor District, an art festival in Sabu Raijua, and the Tour de Timor on Timor Island.

        On Flores Island, Kelimutu Festival will be organized in Ende, Gemufamire Festival and Tsunami Festival in Maumere, and Caci Festival in Manggarai.

        Recently, Sumba Island, located in southern NTT, was named the most beautiful island by German magazine Focus.

        "We are very grateful and laud Focus magazine for recently selecting Sumba as the most beautiful island in the world," Jelamu remarked.

        The magazine, with a circulation of five million, has chosen Sumba Island owing to its rich natural resources and culture. Sumba Island has a vast and beautiful savanna, sea, and exotic beach.

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