Garuda Wisnu Kencana will be Completed in October 2008

According to the Indonesian-language Bisnis Indonesia, President Bambang Susilo Yudhoyono expressed the wish that the complex of Garuda Wisnu Kencana (GWK) of cultural park and monument of 250 hectares on the peninsula of Ungasan, Bali can be finally complete for October 2008, for the cultural festival of the world envisaged in Bali.
The achievement cost differently being estimated at between US$70 and US$270 million, the center piece of the park will be a monument holding 146 meters in height and approximately 286 meters above sea level. With a basic structure one estimates that weighs 2.000 tons thereafter once achieved and will resemble the equivalent of a building of 16 stages, all the statue with the image of the Hindu stop epic of meeting of Wisnu lord of hero the back of the mythical bird of Garuda.

The scale of wing of the bird of Garuda will be of the 60 meters impressive. The project of 250 hectares will include the plaza monument, a center of international trade and promotion, gardens arranged in park, a park of festival and water, a center of convention of capacity of 5.000 people, a complex of resource, and a residential complex.

Fact for October 2008?

The Minister of Indonesia of the culture and tourism, Jero Wacik, known as Bisnis Indonesia which “the president hopes for that for October 2008 the construction of GWK will be accomplished. ” In relative comments after a meeting with President Yudhoyono, Made Mangku Pastika, the President of the base of GWK, admitted that it will be difficult to produce the target of the president in current conditions, but the aforementioned chances for success will be increased if the support of the local investors and the federal banks materializes. Pastika indicated the pressure which around RP. 2.5 trillions (roughly US$270 million) are necessary to finish the project with half being spent on the real statue and other half on the equipment and the buildings of support. According to Bisnis Indonesia, 15% of technical work on GWK are finished with 42% of accomplished construction. Pastika is trustful that, once complete, the park of monument of GWK will draw 10.000 visitors per day, a given realistic target the fact which in it is half-accomplished state that it already manages to attract 2.000-3.000 daily visitors

Australian tourists return to Bali

Australian tourists are returning to the Indonesian island of Bali after the fatal bomb attacks on the island in 2002 and 2005 and several drug cases apparently drove them away.
According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, Indonesia jumped to fourth place on the list of the most popular overseas destinations for Australians in 2007.

The ABS said the total number of Australian travellers increased by nearly 65 percent to a total of roughly half a million.

In 2006, Indonesia was the ninth choice for Australian travellers. Other top destinations for Australian tourists are New Zealand, the United States, Thailand and Hong Kong.

Competitive international airfares are said to be one reason for Australians taking more overseas holidays.

The number of international arrivals to the archipelago’s main tourist location, Bali, fell dramatically after the October 2002 and October 2005 Bali bombings, as travellers feared further attacks.

The highly publicised drug trial of Australian Schapelle Corby also deterred tourists. Corby is currently serving a 20-year sentence for drug smuggling in Bali but many Australians still believe she is innocent.

The so-called “Bali nine” case involving a nine members of a drug ring caught trying to smuggle 8.2 kg of heroin from Bali into Australia in April 2005 has also created fierce debate. Six of them are currently awaiting execution in Bali.

The Indonesian government has a goal to attract seven million tourist arrivals during this year’s Visit Indonesia programme and expects to make some 6.7 billion dollars in foreign exchange revenue from tourism this year.

Last year, Indonesia received around 5.5 million international visitors, which was half a million short of official targets, but still generated around 5.3 billion dollars in foreign exchange income.