INDONESIA: Volcano Spews Ash In Bali, Tourists Warned

The UAE Embassy in Jakarta has issued a travel alert for tourists after a volcano erupted in Bali.

Mount Agung erupted at 3.21am local time on Sunday morning, and spewed ash up to 2,000 metres high.

The UAE mission alert citizens travelling to Indonesia’s holiday destination to be vigilant for any further development regarding the volcano’s activity.

In a statement, the embassy said: Due to the state of Mount Agung, the UAE Embassy in Indonesia advises Emiratis on the island of Bali to stay away from the volcano, take precautions and follow safety instructions.

Please register with the Twajudi service so we can locate your whereabouts. In the event of an emergency, contact the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation’s call centre on 800 44444.

A number of areas across Indonesia, including in Sulawesi, Lombok and the Sumatra region, are still reeling from the aftermath of earthquakes that broke out in February and March 2019.

As of Wednesday, April 24, the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) advised against all travel within four kilometres of the Mount Agung crater in east Bali, and to stay at least seven kilometres away from Mount Sinabung crater in Kalo Regency, North Sumatra.

These are exclusion zones put in place by the local authorities due to ongoing volcanic activity.

If you’re in either exclusion zone, you should leave immediately, said the FCO.


Tourism Observer

INDONESIA: Authorities Divert Flights From Anak Krakatau Volcano

Indonesia on Thursday raised the alert level for the erupting Anak Krakatau volcano to the second-highest, and ordered all flights to steer clear, days after it triggered a tsunami that killed at least 430 people.

A crater collapse on the volcanic island at high tide on Saturday sent waves up to 5 metres high smashing into the coast on the Sunda Strait, between the islands of Java and Bali.

Authorities have warned that the crater of Anak Krakatau, or child of Krakatau, remains fragile, raising fears of another collapse and tsunami, and have urged residents to stay away from the coast.

There are also fears of a bigger eruption.

The volcano has been rumbling on and off since July but has been particularly active since Sunday, spewing lava and rocks, and sending huge clouds of ash up to 3,000 metres into heavily overcast skies.

The national geological agency, in raising the alert level to the second-highest, set a 5-km exclusion zone around the island.

Since December 23, activity has not stopped, we anticipate a further escalation, said Antonius Ratdomopurbo, secretary of the geological agency.

A thin layer of volcanic ash has been settling on buildings, vehicles and vegetation along the west coast of Java since late on Wednesday, according to images shared by the national disaster mitigation agency.

Authorities said the ash was not dangerous, but advised residents to wear masks and goggles when outside, while aircraft were ordered away.

All flights are rerouted due to Krakatau volcano ash on red alert, the government air-traffic control agency AirNav said in a release.

The civil aviation authority said no airports would be affected. The capital, Jakarta, is about 155 km east of the volcano.

In 1883, the volcano then known as Krakatoa erupted in one of the biggest blasts in recorded history, killing more than 36,000 people in a series of tsunami and lowering the global surface temperature by one degree Celsius with its ash.

A tsunami in Indonesia’s Sunda Strait struck two of the country’s islands without warning, killing at least 222 people and injuring more than 700, officials said here yesterday.

Hundreds of buildings were destroyed by the three-foot wave, which hit the coast of southern Sumatra and the western tip of Java about 14.30pm GMT (6.30pm UAE time) on Saturday after a volcano known as the “child” of Krakatoa erupted, national disaster agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said.

No earthquake was recorded and no tsunami warning was issued, said Rahmat Triyono, earthquake and tsunami chief at Indonesia’s Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency. We don’t know what caused the tsunami yet, he said.

Search and rescue teams were scouring rubble for survivors, with 222 people confirmed dead, 843 people injured and 28 missing, Nugroho said.

Tsunamis triggered by volcanic eruptions are relatively rare, caused by the sudden displacement of water or slope failure, according to the International Tsunami Information Centre.

Unlike those triggered by earthquakes, they give authorities no time to warn residents of the impending threat. Ben van der Pluijm, an earthquake geologist and a professor in the University of Michigan, said the tsunami may have been caused by a partial collapse of Anak Krakatoa.

Instability of the slope of an active volcano can create a rock slide that moves a large volume of water, creating local tsunami waves that can be very powerful. This is like suddenly dropping a bag of sand in a tub filled with water, he said.

Videos from the regency of Pandeglang in Java’s Banten province showed extensive damage. More than 400 homes, nine hotels and at least ten vessels were damaged or destroyed in Pandeglang, Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, the spokesman for Indonesia’s disaster management agency, said on Twitter.

The area hit by the tsunami is popular with tourists from Jakarta, the capital, and many people were at the beach on Saturday when the wave struck around 9.30pm (local time).

Rahmat said no tsunami warning had been issued because such warnings are prompted by tectonic activity and no earthquake had occurred.

In September, an earthquake struck the island of Sulawesi, setting off an underwater landslide and tsunami that struck the city of Palu and surrounding areas. More than 2,100 people died.

TV images showed the seconds when the tsunami hit the beach and residential areas in Pandeglang on Java island, dragging with it victims, debris and large chunks of wood and metal.

On December 26, 2004, an Indian Ocean tsunami triggered by an earthquake killed 226,000 people in 13 countries, including more than 120,000 in Indonesia.

The eruption of Krakatoa in 1883 killed more than 36,000 people in a series of tsunamis. Anak Krakatoa is the island that emerged from the area once occupied by Krakatoa, which was destroyed in 1883. It first appeared in 1927 and has been growing ever since.

Saturday’s tsunami was the latest in a series of tragedies that have struck Indonesia, a vast archipelago, this year.

Successive earthquakes flattened parts of the tourist island of Lombok, and a double quake-and-tsunami killed thousands on Sulawesi island. Nearly 200 people died when a Lion Air passenger plane crashed into the Java Sea in October.

President Joko Widodo, who is running for re-election in April, tweeted that he had ordered all relevant government agencies to immediately take emergency response steps, find victims and care for the injured.

Neighbouring Malaysia and Australia both said they were ready to provide assistance if needed.

Another tsunami could strike Indonesia, experts have warned, after a powerful wave caused by a volcanic eruption killed hundreds when it swallowed coastal settlements, taking earthquake-focused disaster monitors by surprise.

While tsunamis are often triggered by earthquakes, in this case experts believe the deadly waves were generated by an eruption of the Anak (or "child of") Krakatoa volcano, which could have caused a large undersea landslide or flow of molten rock into the water.

The tsunami appears to have been caused by an underwater collapse of part of the volcano, said David Rothery, a professor of planetary geosciences at Britain's Open University.

Anak Krakatoa is an island that emerged around 1928 in the crater left by Krakatoa, whose massive 1883 eruption killed at least 36,000 people.

The tsunami that struck on Saturday was the third natural disaster to hit Indonesia in six months.

The country has 127 active volcanoes and lies on the Pacific Ocean's "Ring of Fire" where earthquakes and volcanic eruptions are frequent.

Anak Krakatoa, located in the Sunda Strait between Java and Sumatra islands, is close to densely populated areas.

The volcano has been particularly active since June, noted Jacques-Marie Bardintzeff at the University of Paris-South.

We were helpless given how sudden the event took place, Bardintzeff said. The time between cause and effect was a few dozen minutes, which was too short to warn the population.

The killer wave struck at night, sweeping across tourist beaches and low-lying settlements on both sides of the Sunda Strait and catching both residents and disaster monitors totally unawares.

Signs that a tsunami was coming weren't detected and so people did not have time to evacuate, said Indonesia's disaster agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, who blamed vandalism, technical problems and limited budgets for the lack of warning buoys.

But the Open University's Rothry said such buoys, normally positioned to monitor earthquakes at underwater tectonic plate boundaries, would still have had limited efficacy.

Even if there had been such a buoy right next to Anak Krakatoa, this is so close to the affected shorelines that warning time would have been minimal given the high speeds at which tsunami waves travel.

Simon Boxall of Southampton University said the region was in spring tide, and it would appear that the wave hit some of the coastal areas at the highest point of this high tide, exacerbating the damage done.

While the tsunami was relatively small, Richard Teeuw, a disaster risk reduction expert at the University of Portsmouth in England said: Such waves - laden with debris - can be deadly for coastal communities, especially if there is no warning.

Devastating tsunami caused by volcanic eruptions are rare; one of the most famous and deadly was caused by the eruption of Krakatoa in 1883, Teeuw said.

The likelihood of further tsunamis in the Sunda Strait will remain high while Anak Krakatoa volcano is going through its current active phase because that might trigger further submarine landslides, he said.

Sonar surveys would now be needed to map the seafloor around the volcano, but unfortunately submarine surveys typically take many months to organise and carry out, he added.

Bardintzeff warned we must be wary now that the volcano has been destabilised.


Tourism Observer

SOUTHEAST ASIA: Disasters Impact Tourism In Southeast Asia, 600,000 Chinese Tourists Cancelled Trips To Thailand In July

Summer 2018 has been an eventful one, not least for some of Southeast Asia’s top tourist destinations, which have endured more than their fair share of tragedy and turmoil.

On August 5, the Indonesian island of Lombok was hit by a second deadly earthquake in less than a week, this one killing at least 108 people, and sparking a desperate search for survivors and a mass exodus of tourists.

That followed the Phoenix boat disaster on July 5, in Phuket, in which 47 Chinese nationals lost their lives.

In the wake of the accident, as many as 600,000 Chinese tourists cancelled July trips to Thailand.

According to the country’s Ministry of Tourism and Sports, this represents a 37-billion-baht (US$1.1 billion) loss of revenue and a 26 per cent reduction in arrivals from China, compared with the same period last year.

Officials predict the downturn to continue throughout August, with as many as 930,000 Chinese visitors staying away, although many have suggested it could have been worse.

Coverage of the tragedy was largely eclipsed by the feel good story of the summer, the Tham Luang cave rescue.

Elsewhere in Thailand, the closure of Maya Bay on June led to a dramatic decline in tourism revenues at Nopparat Thara Beach-Phi Phi Islands National Park, in Krabi province.

The Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP) estimates a loss of almost 57 million baht from June to July.

DNP deputy chief Jongklai Worapongsathorn said, We are not too concerned as we have made it our priority to rehabilitate the bay’s ecosystem.

In an effort to alleviate the environmental pressures placed on the beach by the influx of tourist boats it received prior to closing, the DNP is building a jetty that is expected to be completed by the time the bay reopens on October 1, with the hope that tourists and the revenues they bring return.

Despite revising downwards its forecast number of Chinese tourist arrivals for the second half of 2018 by almost 670,000, to 5.1 million, the Ministry of Tourism and Sports is working hard to ensure that its top tourist market rebounds in time for China’s golden week holiday, from October 1 to 7.

Special immigration lanes for Chinese passport holders are being opened at airports serving Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Phuket and Hat Yai. Authorities are also considering providing multiple-entry visas.

It is not all doom and gloom in the Philippines, where popular island destination Boracay has been closed since April 26.

According to Department of Trade and Industry figures, tourist arrivals rose by more than 10 per cent, to 3.2 million, from January to May.

Lance Gokongwei, president and chief executive of airline Cebu Pacific said: Even with the closure of Boracay, we’re seeing tremendous growth in tourism.

We saw an opportunity to redeploy the aircraft flying to Boracay to additional destinations, such as Busuanga, Siargao and Negros Oriental.

Those that are not quite in the limelight like Boracay, they suddenly sprouted. And I think it’s good because it’s creating opportunity to build more legs to our tourism strategy.

Not only Boracay and Cebu, said Gokongwei. Now there’s four or five jewels.

Earlier this year, Lombok was identified by Indonesian authorities as being one of 10 destinations that could replicate the success of its neighbour, the hugely popular Bali, which, let’s not forget, has its own worries, the highly active Mount Agung keeping volcano watchers and other local officials on their toes.

As it has transpired, the impact of both the quake and the mass evacuation of tourists on the lives and livelihoods of inhabitants of the increasingly popular Lombok are likely to be felt for some time.


Tourism Observer

INDONESIA: 500 Plus Hikers Stuck On Mount Rinjani Lombok Due To 6.4-Magnitude Quake

Indonesia mounted a rescue operation Monday to reach more than 500 hikers and guides stranded by landslides on an active volcano on Lombok, a day after a powerful earthquake struck the holiday island.

Helicopters and search teams have been deployed to scour the slopes of Mount Rinjani, which is criss-crossed with hiking routes popular with tourists, while rescuers have made airdrops of food supplies to those stranded.

Tonnes of rock and mud were dislodged on the mountain in the 6.4-magnitude quake, which struck early Sunday and was followed by scores of aftershocks, leaving hikers with no easy way down to safety.

There are still 560 people trapped, said the head of Rinjani national park Sudiyono.

Those believed to be stranded include citizens from the United States, France, the Netherlands, Thailand and Germany, as well as many other countries, search and rescue officials said.

Hundreds of other hikers managed to get off the mountain on Sunday, according to officials.

At least 16 people were killed in the earthquake across affected areas of Lombok, while hundreds of buildings were destroyed including a health clinic.

The quake created panic on the holiday island and sent locals and tourists running outside their homes and hotels.

The rescue operation on Mount Rinjani is likely to run until at least Tuesday and a military helicopter has dropped supplies at several spots on the mountain.

For supplies, they can still survive for another one to two days, Agus Hendra Sanjaya, spokesman for Mataram’s search and rescue agency, said.

Rising some 3,726 metres (12,224 feet) above sea level, Rinjani is the second-tallest volcano in Indonesia and a favourite among sightseers keen to take in its expansive views.

Hiking trails on the mountain were closed following the quake due to fear of further landslides.

Thailand’s embassy in Jakarta said 239 of its citizens were stuck in the area surrounding the mountain.

Thai national Thanapon Worawutchainan, who was at the summit when the earthquake occurred, posted a video on Facebook showing people stumbling down the slopes in the aftermath.

He said the ground shook violently and people lay down until the tremors stopped.

It looked like the mountain in front of me was going to collapse, another stranded Thai, Funknathee Prapasawat, said on Facebook.

Some people were injured by rocks falling off the mountain.

The epicentre of the earthquake was 50km (30 miles) northeast of Lombok’s main city Mataram, the United States Geological Survey said, far from the main tourist spots on the south and west of the island.

The initial tremor was followed by two strong secondary quakes and more than 100 aftershocks.

The jolt was felt some 100km away on the bustling resort island of Bali, although there were no reports of damage there.

Some 160 people were injured in Lombok as a result of the quake, said Mohammad Rum, head of West Nusa Tenggara disaster agency.

A Malaysian was among the dead, with another six citizens injured, the foreign ministry in Kuala Lumpur said.

A total of 5,141 people are staying in temporary shelters and in need of clean water, Indonesian disaster mitigation agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho told MetroTV.

President Joko Widodo visited affected areas on Monday and promised financial support for those who have lost their homes.

We must be aware that our country is in the Ring of Fire, so people need to be prepared to face any disaster, Widodo said.

Indonesia, one of the most disaster-prone nations on earth, straddles the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire, where tectonic plates collide and a large portion of the world’s volcanic eruptions and earthquakes occur.

In 2004 a tsunami triggered by a magnitude 9.3 undersea earthquake off the coast of Sumatra in western Indonesia killed 220,000 people in countries around the Indian Ocean, including 168,000 in Indonesia.


Tourism Observer

INDONESIA: Louvre Hotels Group Received Award For Leading Global Hotel Chain In Indonesia

Louvre Hotels Group has received the award for Leading Global Hotel Chain in Indonesia for 2016 – 2017 given by ITTA , The Indonesia Travel and Tourism Awards.

The award was presented on Wednesday December 14 , 2016 during the ITTA Gala Award Dinner held in Jakarta to Mr Mark van Ogtrop , MD of Louvre Hotels Indonesia.

Louvre Hotels Group operates over 30 hotels in Indonesia under the Brands : “Royal Tulip” , “Golden Tulip”, “Golden Tulip Essential”, “Kyriad” and soon to be launched “Campanile”. In 2016 the group successfully opened 3 new Royal Tulip Hotels in Bogor , Bedugul and Ubud last two both in Bali. In addition new Golden Tulip and Golden Tulip Essential hotels were opened in Lombok, Tangerang, Kuta and Jimbaran in Bali. Under the Brand Kyriad a total of 7 hotels were added in 2016

The group is further expanding its portfolio in 2017 with over 12 hotels to be opened throughout the year in Indonesia.

Mark van Ogtrop, MD of Louvre Hotels Group adds : “We are very excited to have received this award. It truly reflects the efforts of our team here in Indonesia and how the group has grown and successfully opened a group of quality hotels that we currently operate.

The recently added hotels in our portfolio are hotels that we are truly proud of and that add to the success of our reputation.”

INDONESIA: Indonesia Is World's Largest Archipelago

With more than 13,000 islands, Indonesia is the world's largest archipelago. Only about 6000 of the islands are inhabited but that still leaves a lot of options for island-hopping.

Most travellers know about Bali, the surf-and-sand island of Eat, Pray, Love fame, and Java, home to Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia, and 60 per cent of the country's population.

But I recently travelled with friends to two lesser-known - although still tourist-friendly - islands and from there, to a few even smaller islands, that gave glimpses of local culture while offering heart-stirring views of serene blue water, dazzling waterfalls and thrilling volcano peaks.

LOMBOK
Next to world-famous Bali, Lombok offers many of the same attractions as its better-know neighbour: waterfalls, white-sand beaches, snorkelling and scuba diving, but with a fraction of the tourists. Here are some of its top destinations:

Senggigi: Located on the north-west part of Lombok, Senggigi is the main tourist area lined with hotels, restaurants, souvenir shops, massage parlours and more. The town of Senggigi is where visitors can set up tours or find guides to take them to different parts of the island.

Sendang Gile and Tiu Kelep waterfalls: Icy, cold and slippery, these waterfalls are probably some of the most awe-inspiring sights on the island. We hired a guide to lead us to them.

Authentic handicrafts: Banyumulek is a village known for its world-class pottery. We visited a family of three generations creating pieces of various sizes. Farther inland, Sukarara is a community where visitors can learn about the process of traditional hand-weaving and attempt it themselves. Pottery is available for purchase at Banyumulek and sarongs, wall hangings, blankets and scarves can be bought at Sukarara.

Gili islands: A string of three tiny islands off the northern coast of Lombok, the Gili islands are popular for their laidback feel and lack of traffic. We headed to Gili Air because it was the closest, hiring a private speedboat and driver and spending a few hours walking around the island and jumping in and out of the water. Don't forget to get your picture taken at one of the well-known water swings.

FLORES
Known mainly for being the jumping-off point to Komodo National Park, a Unesco World Heritage Site, the island of Flores is much larger than you may think. I made the mistake of thinking we could fly into the city of Maumere - the largest town on the island - and take local transport to the western side of the island and head on to the Komodo area. I was wrong. It turned out to be at least a 12-hour drive, and with just a few days on Flores, we decided to stick around Maumere instead of being rushed. But we were not disappointed.

One interesting aspect of visiting Flores was the Christian influence there. Indonesia is the world's largest majority-Muslim country, but on Flores, churches and a large cross can be seen along the coast. Flores means flowers in Portuguese; it was a colonial outpost for Portugal in the 16th century.

Other attractions

Local market: An authentic slice of life, with vendors selling fruit, livestock and chatting with each other and customers.

Pangabatang Island: We decided on the fly to try to visit Pangabatang Island, an uninhabited island about an hour off the coast of Flores. With the help of some friendly locals, we flagged down a bemo, a public transport van, found out one of the women on board was married to a boat captain, and headed to meet him at the fishing village of Nangahale. He spoke no English, but I was able to communicate with my rudimentary Indonesian language skills, and we hopped on his rickety boat. We sat in stunned silence snapping photos of some of the most scenic water views we'd ever seen. Once at Pangabatang, we suntanned, jumped in and out of the sea, and, of course, took selfies.

One note of warning: ferry sinkings and boat accidents are not uncommon. So use your judgment on boat rides, especially if travelling with kids.

Mt Egon: Hiking Mt Egon takes several hours and lots of stamina. It's very steep with lots of loose gravel. We hired a guide to take us to the summit, where a volcanic crater and outstanding views made the trek worth it.

TIPS:
● Learn a little bit of the language, Bahasa Indonesia. It will help tremendously.
● Being on time is relative. A 7am meeting time with your guide may actually mean 8am. Sip some coffee and wait.
● There are three time zones across Indonesia. Keep this in mind when booking flights.
● Approximately 9600 Indonesian rupiah equals $NZ1.

INDONESIA: Tourism In The Indonesian Island Of Lombok

The Indonesian island of Lombok has seemingly forever been a destination pigeonholed in the 'next big thing' category, now finally easing its way slowly out of neighbouring Bali's shadow. There has been a serious push by the Indonesian Tourism Ministry to disperse tourism traffic away from Bali's crowded beach resorts to the regions, with 10 new tourism destinations earmarked for major development and promotion. Lombok itself is perhaps most likely to succeed, able to leverage Bali's well established international air links and sharing the glow of its global exposure.

However much of Lombok's recent limelight on the global tourism stage is all its own doing. At the 2015 World Halal Travel Summit in Abu Dhabi late last year, Lombok took home coveted awards for the World's Best Halal Tourism Destination and the World's Best Halal Honeymoon Destination.

"This is a prestigious award and should be able to sharpen Lombok's positioning as a world-class halal tourism destination," Tourism Minister Arief Yahya said. Of course Lombok is much more than just a Muslim-friendly destination. Arguably for the first time, it now has both a global platform to build upon and a real commitment from regional and national tourism leaders. So what's next for Lombok as a tourism brand? Travelmole's Ray Montgomery recently sat down with Taufan Rahmadi, Chairman of West Nusa Tenggara Tourism Promotion Board.

From day one, Taufan has been on a mission to 'create a wave,' and in doing so virtually transform the mindset of conventional tourism promotion in the regions. The Nusa Tenggara Barat (NTB) province - comprising Lombok and neighbouring Sumbawa - has a tourism promotion budget of a miserly rp 6 billion (about $450,000) which is less than 10% of Bali's funding. These limited resources call for a more creative approach, says Taufan.

"This wave of creative power comes from social media, communications and importantly, bringing people together as destination ambassadors to promote the region. People are the backbone of promotion. These are the tools of our trade."

"We harness the energy of a growing army of savvy local people to volunteer and promote the region, as well as young people from other Indonesian regions and also from overseas, through social media postings, peer outreach and blogging."

Many migrant workers who have left the region to work overseas have been closely involved in the volunteer program from the outset, helping to spread the word in hitherto untapped overseas markets. There is a strong presence in Australia but also growing source markets like South Korea and parts of Europe.

In Lombok, even the lack of a salary on offer hasn't dissuaded highly qualified people from getting involved in the project. Videographers, event planners, designers and even a university communications lecturer all donate their hard earned free time to the cause. The strategy is a simple one - to engage with peers, influencers and other tourism stakeholders in meaningful ways to showcase the NTB brand message. That includes gimmick-free tourism promotion in its purest form. Next month a team will begin spreading the word at local schools throughout Lombok and Sumbawa. It's never too early to 'create a wave.'

Taufan's feverish enthusiasm for the Lombok Sumbawa brand is very evident and you get the impression he rarely takes no for an answer. In the last 12 months he has been able to negotiate high value, free exposure for the destination with in-flight video screenings across the Garuda Indonesia route network (including an unique Lombok focused 'catwalk in the sky') and a marketing partnership with telecommunications giant Telkomsel, reaching the company's nine million users.

In fact Lombok's nomination and ultimate double victory at the World Halal Travel Summit simply grew from a single speculative phone call from the award organizer several months earlier. That phone call, Taufan says, ultimately resulted in huge global exposure for the region reaching an estimated 19 million people.

In just a few short months, this network of passionate social media foot soldiers has grown to more than 70-strong, with more people - locals and international travel bloggers alike - encouraged to join in and share their passion with the world.

Taufan wants to take this 'movement' nationwide to establish similar volunteer programs in every Indonesian region.The benefits of this collaborative effort are obvious with little to no financial outlay producing stellar results, while it has a very authentic storytelling angle produced by people living in the very communities it is showcasing.

Could this be a new template for tourism promotion for emerging destinations?

INDONESIA: Steps Taken To Stop Child Sex Tourism

An activist group against child sex predation has highlighted the urgency of tackling a growing scourge in Indonesia that has long been overlooked by the authorities.

“Child sex tourism is a new and flourishing form of sexual exploitation toward kids in Indonesia,” Mr Ahmad Sofian, the national coordinator of the group End Child Prostitution, Child Pornography and Trafficking of Children for Sexual Purposes (Ecpat) Indonesia, said at a press conference in Jakarta yesterday (Dec 23).

He said the commercially facilitated sexual abuse of minors involved some two million children across the globe, half of them in Southeast Asia.

“In Southeast Asia, Indonesia is the main destination for travelling child sex predators after Vietnam and Cambodia,” Mr Sofian said, attributing this to a demographic that skews young — children and young adults account for half of the country’s total population of some 250 million.

Mr Sofian said lax law enforcement against child molesters in Indonesia was a key factor in the growth of child sex tourism, which is part of the multi-billion-dollar global sex tourism industry. He noted that the child protection law in Indonesia, a general act to protect the rights of minors, fails to make it a crime to buy sex from children.

Law enforcement, meanwhile, tends to focus only on cases of sexual assault and the like when tackling child sex abuse, Mr Sofian said. “Law enforcers seem to be ignoring child sex tourism because it involves tourists who bring in revenue for the local economy,” he added.

Research by Ecpat Indonesia, drawing from reports by Interpol, the Australian Federal Police, Unicef and the International Organisation for Migration between 2012 and 2014, identifies Bali, Jakarta, West Java, East Java, Batam, North Sumatra and Lombok as the top six provinces for number of child sex tourism cases.

“These are popular destinations for business or leisure travellers,” Mr Sofian pointed out, adding that the perpetrators included both domestic and foreign tourists, usually affluent.

The same research also highlights the role that taxi drivers play in the chain of child sex tourism, a problem closely linked with poverty, rapid industrialisation and exploding population growth.

“The most convenient means of transportation for these child sex offenders is the taxi,” Ms Mubha Kahar Muang, the president director of Jakarta taxi operator Putra, said at Wednesday’s press conference.

“Taxi drivers know the very heart of the city and they’ve unfortunately become a sort of informant for child sex predators who are on the hunt,” she added.

That’s why, she said, Putra has joined forces with Ecpat on a campaign aimed at eradicating child sex tourism in Indonesia.

In June and July, Ecpat trained some 250 Putra taxi drivers on how to discourage passengers who attempted to get information about places offering child sex prostitution.

“We taught them on how to politely reject such passengers so that they don’t get offended,” Ms Muang said.

The training is also expected to encourage the drivers to lead efforts in fight against child sex tourism in their own hometowns.

“We want to help break the chain of child sex tourism in the country,” Ms Muang said.

Mr Sofian said the measure was the first of its kind in Indonesia; the governments of Cambodia and Thailand have previously campaigned with local taxi firms to tackle the scourge in their countries.

Ecpat plans to carry out an identical campaign with taxi operators in the five other provinces.

The group’s ultimate goal, Mr Sofian said, was to get the government to pass a law specifically outlawing child prostitution and child pornography, rather than the broad but vague child protection act that prevails today.

“It’s going to take some time for such a law to come about, but in the meantime we want to raise awareness about child sex tourism,” he said.

Khiri Travel Showcases Culinary Experiences In Asia

Tour options celebrate the relationship between food and travel

Khiri Travel has introduced seven culinary experiences across five countries that showcase authentic local food in iconic settings.

The signature food experiences have been designed to give a visceral flavour of places including Myanmar, Indonesia and Thaialand..

The seven options include a Bagan ‘royal feast’ of 30 dishes in Myanmar, a picnic in the grounds beside a giant Buddhist shrine in Sri Lanka, and lunch in the gardens beside ancient Mon ruins in Chiang Mai, Thailand.

In Indonesia visitors can go to a market in Lombok and then prepare their own local sasak meal in a shaded bamboo retreat beside rice paddis. In Bali, guests visit the Sindhu night market and eat snacks such as sate, bakso soup, gadogado or mee goring.

In Yogyakarta, a guided tour of the Malioboro area allows guests to sample dishes such as gudeg (jackfruit curry with egg), soto daging (beef soup), and an array of sweet meats in a local market. In Cambodia, Khiri Travel has arranged for a spread of Khmer snacks to be prepared for guests cruising on the moat at Angkor Thom in the early evening.

André van der Marck, VP of Khiri Travel, said: “Each culinary offering can be tailored as a tour in its own right or as part of a full-day, half-day or multiple-day tour.”

“All the dining experiences can be prepared to a budget or modified for guests who prefer things spicy, mild, with or without certain meats or with local or international soft drinks or alcohol.”

INDONESIA: Indonesia Extends Closure Of Bali Airport Because Of Ash From Volcano Eruption

Volcanic ash spews from the crater of Mount Rinjani on the Indonesian island of Lombok

Indonesia will extend the closure of an international airport on popular Bali resort island to Thursday due to ash from an erupting volcano, an official said Wednesday, grounding more than 100 flights.

Authorities had closed the Ngurah Rai International Airport late Tuesday due to a large ash cloud drifting from Mount Rinjani, an active volcano on the nearby island of Lombok.

“The airport remains closed until 8.45 am tomorrow (Thursday). The wind has blown the volcanic ash towards Bali in such a way that it covers the sky around the airport, making conditions unsuitable for flying,” Bali airport official Yulfiadi said.

A total of 106 flights on Wednesday were cancelled, including 59 international flights, Yulfiadi said, adding that the “situation is still under control”.

The eruption also shut down Selaparang airport in Mataram, the capital of West Nusatenggara province, located on Lombok Island.

Passengers wait for information on delayed and cancelled flights at the international departure area of Bali's Ngurah Rai Airport in Denpasar.

Australian airlines Virgin Australia and Jetstar had already cancelled all flights Tuesday, deeming conditions unsafe for flying, with Virgin also scrapping its roster for Wednesday.

Ash from a different volcano stranded thousands of passengers on Bali for days during the peak holiday season in July.

Air traffic is regularly disrupted by volcanic eruptions in Indonesia, which sits on a belt of seismic activity running around the basin of the Pacific Ocean and is home to the highest number of active volcanoes in the world, around 130.

The main concern for airlines regarding volcanic ash is not that it can affect visibility but rather that it could damage jet engines, according to experts.

Ash turns into molten glass when it is sucked into aircraft engines and in extreme cases can cause them to shut down.