Tourism Award “Karya Karana”

For the first time, the Bali Provincial Government has attached a tourism award “Karya Karana” to the pioneer and the official figure in the Bali tourism sector. This event will become an annual tradition that will be held right on future anniversary celebrations by the Bali Provincial Government each August.
The reward is only attached to the artisan and cultural observer for meritorious achievement. “Starting next year, the tourism and sports figure will also get a reward,” said Bali Governor, Dewa Made Beratha, on the “Karya Karana” conferral night, on the 13th November.
According to Head of Bali Tourism Authority, Prof. I Gde Pitana, a team from government, private, and academic sectors chooses the award receiver. “They are the tourism stakeholders. Their assessments are truly objective,” he said. The receiver was divided into pioneer figures, developers, and specific services.
Bali Travel News will present the profile of two receiving figures of “Karya Karana” in each edition starting with 1st edition, December 2003.

Bagus Soedana (1930-1992)
The late Bagus Soedana is known as a maritime tourism pioneer in Bali. He was born in Karangasem 27 December 1930 and passed away on the 30 April 1992. He started pioneering the maritime tourism industry in Bali in 1978 by coordinating expert divers from many countries including Indonesia, Germany, Australia and Japan. These divers were invited to begin a survey to find the ideal underwater tourism sites (ocean) in Bali and around.
The survey planned by Bagus Soedana produced several findings of ideal sites for diving tourism, which are around the waterworks of Menjangan Island (Western Bali), Nusa Penida and Nusa Lembongan (Klungkung, Eastern Bali), Gili Tepekong, and Tulamben and Amed (Karangasem, Eastern Bali). Until now, these places are popular with enthusiastic divers gaining much exposure in international media publications, putting Bali’s popularity as an ideal and complete tourism destination in Indonesia and Asia. This means that Bali is not only famous of its gorgeous nature and various cultural forms, but also its beautiful and magnificent underwater charm. In general, the maritime tourism industry in Bali is growing rapidly, not just through diving tourism, but as well as other ocean recreations such as parasailing.
Bagus Soedana founded the water sport business under PT Baruna Water Sport, which was under his management between the years 1978-1992, also engaging in tourism transportation and as the director PT Seruni Transport, the name that he adopted from the street where he lived in Denpasar, westward of the headquarters of the Bali Provincial Police. Bagus Soedana also founded a business travel biro and president director PT Nusa Dua Bali Tours and Travel, which prioritizes European tourists. His business developed into the hotel business by establishing the Puri Bagus Candiasa Hotel and Griya Wisata Manggis, both of them are in Karangasem, his hometown. To pass on his business, Bagus Soedana prepared his son Bagus Sudibia by sending him for hospitality education in Europe. On Bagus Soedana last breath, the management transition process continues to runs smoothly.
For all of his life, Bagus Soedana devoted him self to ASITA. Lastly, the leadership era of I Gusti Bagus Yudhara (1998-1991 period), Bagus Soedana sites the position as Head Sector of Foreign Relations, institutional and legal assistance. In short, the later is the figure of a Bali tourism entrepreneur who had the ability and commitment to build Bali through the tourism world.

Ketut Pater Suarsha (1935-2002)
The figure and name of this man born in Singaraja, 31 December 1935, probably less popular in public eyes, however his contribution to Bali’s tourism development especially in the tour guide sector, arts performance, and travel biro’s are marked indeed. Ketut Pater Suarsha who passed away at 68, on 12 December 2002 in Batubulan, founded the barong group Sahadewa, which stages the barong dance (barong & keris dance) for tourists. Sahadewa Barong was founded along with his friends in 1970. Afterwards, many barong dance groups sprung up especially staged for the tourist.
Ketut Pater was involved in the hospitality world since 1957, taking the profession as tour guide under the direction and accompanied Nyoman Oka alias Nang Lecir. In this era, Bali’s tourism was not like it is today. The only big Hotel at that time was the Bali Hotel in Veteran Street, Denpasar, which was established by the Dutch in 1928. In this hotel, Ketut Pater usually squatted for the tourist. At that time, he just worked as a freelance guide.
Within Bali’s tour guide troop, Ketut Pater can be said as a junior member within the commencement generation of Bali’s tour guides. The tour guide profession was classified as a new profession at that time. Ketut Pater seemed firmly established with this profession and continuously bent for it, until finally an opportunity appeared to work in a hotel, the Bali Beach, in 1966. Before he worked at the hotel , Ketut Pater together with numbers of Balinese youngsters got an opportunity to learn at the hotel academy in Japan in 1965. Ketut Pater joined with the Bali Beach Hotel, penetrating a new profession realm along with Bali’s youngsters including Anak Agung Gede Rai.
The business vision and appetite of Ketut Pater was seemly sharp enough. After three years working at the Bali Beach Hotel, he encouraged himself to go abroad and founded his own travel biro, PT Bali Holiday Tours and Travel. Afterwards, Ketut Pater with his friends composed the group barong Sahadewa, which later on continued by pioneering the Kecak Dance and Ramayana Dance. Besides the entertainment sector, Ketut Pater also ran a restaurant business, the Ayodhya Restaurant at Tanjung Bungkak.
Ketut Pater’s popularity in the Bali’s tourism realm made him collect support to become the director of ASITA Bali. In the year 1978-1980, Ketut Pater was chosen as the director of ASITA. At that time, he and friends campaigned to attract a million tourists per year to Bali.
This target seemed too ambitious, the facts are that in the 1980’s the number of tourists reached about 200 thousand, whilst the million digit was barely reached in the 1990’s. Nevertheless, the program or propaganda of Ketut Pater, and friends in ASITA can arouse and present a challenge for Bali’s tourism industry.
After becoming ASITA’s director, Ketut Pater returned to concentrate in the business sector. Together with John Ketut Pancja, Ketut Pater established the travel biro Dewi’s Tours and Travel, and later on moved to Bill Tours, and finally back again collecting the youngster to establish PT Bali Tours and Travel, which invited Jimmy Zaman and Ida Bagus Lolec (1984).
(BTN/04)

PR Simpatik 2003

DENPASAR – The judgment of ‘PR Simpatik 2003’ by the assessor team prepared by Bali Travel News took place at Sari Warta Boga Restaurant, Denpasar, on Tuesday (16/12). The judgment is held to 7 PR (Public Relations) from 50 PR’s who answer the question ere by Bali Travel News. They are Dedy Sasmita (Hard Rock Hotel Bali), I Wayan Aksara (Bali Cliff Resort), Eddy Soetjahyo (Bali Tropic Resort & Spa), Ni Made Puspadi (Nikko Bali Resort & Spa), Sang Ayu Ketut Yeni Ary (Griya Santrian), Julita Chandra (Nusa Dua Beach Resort & Spa) dan Dewi Lila Kresna (Hotel Conrad, formerly as the PR Melia Bali Resort). This event was also attended by S. Andrayani (PR Kuta Paradiso), who received ‘PR Simpatik 2002’ to share her impression. Through the assessment of the three juries, AA Rai Tirtawati and Ketut Artyana from Communication Faculty, University of Dwijendra and Darma Putra (Managing Editor Bali Travel News), the three winners of PR Simpatik 2003 were decided.

They are Dedy Sasmita (Gold Award), Sang Ayu Ketut Yeni Ary (Silver Award) and I Wayan Aksara (Bronze Award). Then, the event continued with lunch and picture taking. (BTN/015)