KRAKATAU FESTIVAL PROMOTES LAMPUNG TOURISM

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Aug 8 (Antara) - The Indonesian province of Lampung in the southern tip of Sumatra Island will organize the "Lampung Krakatau Festival (LKF) 2017" on Aug 25-27 to promote its tourism.         The festival takes the name "Krakatau," or Krakatoa, as a popular brand to make the event more attractive since Krakatau is a volcanic island situated in Sunda Strait between the islands of Java and Sumatra. Krakatau has attracted global attention when it had erupted in 1883.         The name is also used for the surrounding island group comprising the remnants of a much larger island of three volcanic peaks obliterated in a cataclysmic 1883 eruption that unleashed huge tsunamis, killing more than 36 thousand people and destroying over two-thirds of the island.         Lampung is the original home of the Lampung people, who speak their own language and have their own script. Its capital is Bandar Lampung. The province had a population of about 9.5 million. Three-quarters of the current population of Lampung are the descents of migrants from Java, Madura, and Bali, according to Wikipedia.

DIENG PROMOTES TOURISM THROUGH CULTURAL FESTIVAL

by Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Aug 3 (Antara) - The Dieng Plateau, which is a popular tourist resort in Central Java, is organizing its annual event 'Dieng Culture Festival (DCF) VIII' 2017 in an effort to further promote its tourism.          Dieng Plateau is a marshy plateau that forms the floor of a caldera complex on the Dieng Volcanic Complex, which is located within the districts of Banjarnegara and Wonosobo, Central Java, Indonesia.          The regional government of Banjarnegara District assured that at least 15 kings and queens across the country will attend the DCF 2017, which will last from Aug 4 to 6, 2017.           Referred to as 'Dieng' by Indonesians, it sits at 2 thousand meters (6.6 thousand feet) above sea level, far from major population centers. The name 'Dieng' comes from Di Hyang, which means 'Abode of the Gods.' According to Wikipedia, part of General Sudirman's guerrilla campaign, during the Indonesian War of Independence, took place in the area.          Head of Banjarnegara Tourism Service Dwi Suryanto told Liputan6.com on Monday (June 31) that the kings as well as kings' envoys will arrive during the run-up to the peak of the DCF on Aug 5 when the hair-cut ritual is to be performed on nine dreadlocks of the Dieng.

TANGERANG ORGANIZES FESTIVAL TO PROMOTE ITS TOURISM

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, July 22 (Antara) - The regional government of Tangerang City, Tangerang District, Banten Province, is holding a week-long annual 'Cisadane Festival' along the Cisadane River to reflect its local cultures and promote its tourism.         As in the previous years, the Cisadane Festival this year, scheduled to last from July 22 to 29, will be highlighted with various cultural festivals. The city government of Tangerang will invite all districts and cities in Banten Province to take part in it.         "Some of the activities will take place in Jalan Benteng Jaya along the Cisadane River," Head of Tangerang City's Culture and Tourism Service, Raden Rina Hernaningsih, said, as quoted by the Tangerang City's official website, tangerangkota.go.id.     The activities will take place both on the street/Ciadane river banks and in the river because the event will present a band festival and a decorated dragon boat race.         According to Hernaningsih, one of the goals of this year's Cisadane Festival is to provide a facility for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to promote their business and to empower the community's business, apart from highlighting the splendor of the Cisadane River and providing entertainment for the local people and tourists.

PONTIANAK PRESERVES CULTURES WITH CANNON FESTIVAL

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, June 25 (Antara) -  Amid the spread of  terror threats,  a bang will scare people if it comes from a bomb blast. However, it will amaze them  if it is used  to enliven a festivity.          Thus, the bangs of firecrackers for instance, which decorate the sky with lively colors during a festivity such as during a New Year's Eve and others, will entertain residents.      In local traditions, people use different means to produce bang sounds in enlivening a festivity. Bambo cannon, apart from firecrackers, is the most popular to mention one.  It is used in different parts of the country, even in other countries such as in Malaysia and the Philippines.         In Pontianak, the provincial capital of West Kalimantan, people also use carbide cannon beside bamboo cannon.     West Kalimantan Governor Cornelis said the carbide cannon game played along the Kapuas River during the night of Lebaran (on the Eve of Eid al-Fitr) is the cultural tradition of the Pontianak Malay community.

INDONESIA ATTENDS RISHIKESH FESTIVAL TO ATTRACT INDIAN TOURISTS

by Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, March 8 (Antara) - Indonesia considers India as one of the potential market for promoting its tourism and to attract as many tourists as possible from that country.          Hence, when India organized the world's biggest International Yoga Festival (IYF) in Rishikesh from March 1 to 7, 2017, Indonesia did not want to lose the opportunity and sent its promotional campaign team.          Through its participation in the festival, the Ministry of Tourism expected to attract more Indian tourists this year. After all, the number of Indian tourists to various parts of the world reached some 22 million every year, of which only about 1.5 percent visit Indonesia.          Through its participation in the week-long Yoga festival, Indonesia hopes to attract at least 546 thousand Indian tourists this year.          "In 2016, the number of Indian tourists visiting Indonesia was recorded at 376,802. The number increased by 28 percent compared to that in 2015. India is one of the potential markets that need to be explored. A total of 22 million Indians make an overseas trip every year, but only about 1.5 percent of them visit Indonesia, "Deputy Secretary of International Tourism Marketing Development of the Ministry of Tourism, Ni Wayan Giri Adnyani, was quoted by Kompas.com as saying on Sunday (March 5).

BITUNG GEARS UP FOR LEMBEH FESTIVAL

by Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Sept 29 (Antara) - Locals in the Bitung City in North Sulawesi are all excited as they await the parade of decorated ships, a highlight of the Lembeh Strait Charm Festival (FPSL) to be held from October 6-10, 2016.         The decorated ships' parade will be a highpoint of the festival in the strait separating the Lembeh Island with the mainland Bitung in North Sulawesi.         "Besides a ship parade, there will also be maritime cultural attractions aimed at promoting the local tourism in the Lembeh Strait," Benny Lontoh, the head of North Sulawesi's Industry and Trade Service, said in Manado, the capital of North Sulawesi, on Thursday.         As the Lembeh festival draws near, the local government and officials are now busy making preparations. The annual FPSL festival will be the sixth to be held in the Bitung City. In the past, the festival remained largely local and was more or less an expression of thanksgiving.         The festival used to involve fishermen who ply their trade in the strait. However, this year, it has assumed international dimensions and will be noticed globally.         "We are now paying great attention to the tourism sector because we are convinced it can help in attaining sustainable economic growth," Benny Lontoh added.

LEMBEH STRAIT FESTIVAL TO PROMOTE BITUNG TOURISM

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Sept 14 (Antara) - Indoenesia's Bitung district in North Sulawesi could serve as a hub to develop tourism in the country's eastern region.          Located along the Pacific Rim, Bitung can also serve as an international port hub that could facilitate the development of the Indonesian economic activities and tourism.          Therefore, the regional government of North Sulawesi, particularly Bitung, is now developing its tourism resorts, including Mount Kekewang, and is planning to launch a strait festival, dubbed as the Lembeh Strait Charm Festival 2016.          Tourism Minister Arief Yahya said in Jakarta on Tuesday that he welcomes the plan to launch the festival in an effort to attract more foreign tourists to North Sulawesi, particularly to the Bitung District.          With an intensive campaign launched through this festival, more people would come to know about the Lembeh Strait and it can become a new marine tourism icon for North Sulawesi, according to the minister.

BENGKULU OBSERVES ISLAMIC NEW YEAR WITH 'TABOT' FESTIVAL

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Oct 14 (Antara) - The Sumatran province of Bengkulu is celebrating the arrival of the Islamic New Year 1437 Hegira on the first day of the Islamic month of Muharram on Wednesday with a ten day religious ritual and cultural festival.          Bengkulu governor Junaidi Hamsyah, who opened the annual Tabot Festival 2015 on Tuesday night, said he expected it to attract more tourists, including foreign visitors, to the province.          "The Tabot festival has become a tradition and an identity symbol of Bengkulu province," the governor said.          The festival, starting from Wednesday, 1st Muharram or the first month of the Islamic calendar, will last for ten days. It  has a strong religious nuance, linked to the murder of a grandchild of Prophet Muhammad in the Karbala desert in Iraq.          The infamous tragedy of Karbala is remembered by all Muslims on the tenth day of the Islamic month of Muharram as the saddest day in the history of Islam.          The Karbala massacre is notoriously known for being one of the darkest and saddest days in Islamic history.          On the tenth day of the sacred Islamic month of Muharram, in the year 61 A.H., approximately 50 years after the death of Prophet Muhammad, his grandson Imam Hussein was martyred along with all the members of his family, including women and children.

THIS YEAR'S LAKE TOBA FESTIVAL REMAINS UNCERTAIN

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Sept 12 (Antara) - The office of the coordinating minister for maritime affairs is responsible for the agenda to boost economic activities in the tourism sector in the coming five years.          One of Indonesia's interesting tourist destinations is Lake Toba in Samosir District, North Sumatra. In order to further promote tourism, the local government has plans to organize another Lake Toba Festival, after it sponsored this festival over the past few years.          Samosir District Head Mangindar Simbolon said recently that the local government had been entrusted to organize another Lake Toba Festival. The plan was developed following a meeting between the local government and the Ministry of Tourism.          Simbolon said, in organizing the festival, which was initially scheduled for mid-September, his government would consistently adopt a theme which promotes various cultural and tourism potentials of Lake Toba.