How to succeed my way, by the tourism minister

DENPASAR – Bali-born Minister for Culture and Tourism, Jero Wacik, recently reappointed by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono for a second five year term to his cabinet, gathered with nearly 100 invitees from Bali’s tourism circles for dinner and conversation last Sunday.

Balidiscovery.com attended the event, which was conducted entirely in Indonesian.

It reported a “free-flowing exchange” with the minister, which included:

– Wacik outlined to the group his strong emotional commitment to developing Indonesian tourism and his core philosophy of always maintaining a positive mental attitude, even in difficult times.

To underline these points, all who attended the dinner meeting were given copies of Minister Wacik’s biography themed on maintaining a positive outlook and another published volume recording the achievements of his first five-year term as Minister of Culture and Tourism.

– The Minister used the evening to declare a “truce” with all those who may have challenged, opposed or criticised him during his first term of office and the recently concluded elections.

Dismissing such matters as signs of a thriving democracy at work in Indonesia, Wacik issued a call for everyone in tourism and culture circles to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with him during the coming five years.

– The Minister spoke of the national commitment to developing a thriving film industry and the important role motion pictures can play in sharing with the world the story of Indonesia’s rich cultures and traditions.

To this end, Wacik told of his participation at the Cannes Film Festival in 2005 and separate meetings held with the producers of Eat, Pray, Love which only days ago finished shooting in Bali.

– The Minister shared his continuing vision for a North Bali airport as a means of leveling the economic imbalance that exists between people living in the northern and southern regions of the island.

– In response to urgings from Al Purwa, the Chairman of the Bali Chapter of the Indonesian Association of Travel Agents (ASITA), the Minister promised to urgently contact the Minister of Transportation and urge that both Singapore Airlines and Qatar Airways be given as many Bali flights as they want.

The Minister said that any need to protect the interests of the national carrier Garuda was outweighed by the need to maximise tourist flows to Bali and that Garuda’s desire for a larger share of the market could be addressed later, when the national carrier acquires additional aircraft.

The Minister was responding to complaints from the audience that both Singapore Airlines and Qatar Airways were being thwarted by the Civil Aviation Department in their desire to increase flight frequencies to Bali.

– Minister Wacik underlined the commitment of the current government to eliminating monopolies in Indonesia, including the past policies which allowed only “selected” agents to service specific markets, such as the mainland Chinese.

He also promised to advise the Mainland Chinese government that efforts on their part to established “closed travel consortiums” were not in accordance with Indonesian law.

– Wacik promised the problem of long lines at visa-on-arrival counters in Bali would soon be resolved with more counters and computers.