Karangasem, On the Wallace Line

Karangasem Prepares to Welcome Visitors in 2004

Your journey will not complete if you don’t visit Besakih Temple. Besakih, the mother temple of Bali is just like a magnet that is ready to attract world tourists to visit. It is one of the top tourist destinations of Karangasem that occupies the highest rank in terms of visitor numbers. Apart from Besakih, there is the traditional village of Tenganan and marine tourism of Tulamben selected by tourists to spend their holiday in Bali.

Realizing the decreasing number of tourists, the Regional Tourism, Art and Culture Office of Karangasem does not take it for granted, and the potential destination is continuously being developed and organized. The tourist destinations are Taman Ujung located in Tumbu Village, sub district of Karangasem; Puri Gede constitutes a historical site that is situated in Amlapura town and the agro tourism salak plantation at Sibetan Village.
It is a focus outlook of destination development that will be realized more optimal in the upcoming year 2004. Some supporting infrastructure for tourists has been constructed like renovating objects, parking area, roads and restaurant. With such support and promotion, it is expected that these tourist destinations will become ‘prima donna’ for Karangasem Regency other than Besakih Temple, Tenganan and Tulamben.
I Gede Pasek, a Marketing Officer at the Regional Office of Tourism, Art and Culture or Karangasem Regency, gave some explanations as to the above. In order that the tourist destination of Karangasem Regency becomes better known, on 11-12 November 2003 his office invited the Association of Indonesian Travel Agents (ASITA) Bali, to have a sightseeing tour to some tourist destinations in the Karangasem Regency, especially the agro tourism of the salak plantation.
Apart from cooperating with travel agents, promotion through brochures, exhibitions, television and newspapers, are helpful in introducing the tourist destination. For the upcoming year of 2004, Pasek added, the tourist destinations that have been inventoried will be promoted through the website. According to Pasek, promotional support, in the year 2004, for the tourism sector in Karangasem Regency is optimistic to attract more tourists. He also hoped that the government would give security guarantees, especially in Bali.
In the meantime, according to a tourism practitioner from Karangasem, I Nyoman Sudarsana, national security is necessary to make a conducive situation. If the country is really secure, tourists will not be concerned to visit Indonesia, especially Bali.
With the increasing number of visitors, those who manage the tourist destinations and its supporting infrastructure can operate well, including paying taxes to the government. “If tourists do not like to visit Bali because they feel insecure, it will also a problem for us,” he added.
The businessman who manages the Pandan House hoped that small unrests in the society that disturb the security of Bali would not spread out. This can destroy the image of Bali that is already famous for its religiosity. Sudarsana hoped in 2004 security can be conducive, and many tourists will ‘flood’ back to Bali. (BTN/033)