Syahrul Sauta
On Crisis Funds

Director of Sales of Bali Imperial Hotel , Mr. Syahrul Sauta, put forward the need of learning by experience in thinking over the present difficult conditions faced by the tourism industry, especially hotels, three months following the Kuta bomb blast. Both hotel employees and management should consider intelligently and wisely how to survive the squeeze on hotels following the bomb blast. He proposed the need of a crisis fund to lessen the fears of employees against possible dismissal.
The former employee at Hilton Hotel pointed out the similar difficulties following the October 1999 riots and the 11 September 2001 attack on the World Trade Center in Washington. In October 1999, Abdurahman Wahid became President of the Republic, while Balinese people supported Megawati Sukarnoputri as the winner of the General Election.
Both events immediately affected tourism, especially in Bali. Hotel occupancy levels dived and many fell below 10%. The six-month crises caused hotel management and employees headaches because of the low occupancy levels. The problems of workers staying at home or being dismissed were unavoidable, while the 12 October bomb blast in Kuta has again created serious circumstances.
“If there were on a crisis fund, the tourism components need not be so afraid of the consequences,” he repeated. This fund could be extracted at 3% out of the revenue budget. If the danger of crisis is not realized, the fund would return to the enterprise. So, I am confident workers and entrepreneurs would not suffer similar kinds of headaches anymore,” he said. (Poll)

International Award Goes to Pemuteran

Aproject with the coral reef around Pemuteran Village, Buleleng Regency (North Bali) has achieved a 2002 international award to honour its success in preserving underwater eco-tourism around the village beaches. Skal International’s representative, Chris Green, awarded the Trophy of Honour to Pemuteran’s Desa Adat Chief, Putu Suyasa via Indonesian State Minister of Culture and Tourism, I Gede Ardika, in a ceremony held at Discovery Kartika Plaza Hotel, Tuesday (10 December 2002).
Speaking at the ceremony, Minister Ardika praised the success achieved by a private company in cooperation with Pemuteran community in preserving coral reefs in the area of the village, belonging to Grokgak in West Buleleng.
“What has made us proud is the fact that not only the underwater world of Pemuteran is being preserved, but the project has included social participation in preserving nature and encouraging tourism,” Minister Ardika said
The beauty of Pemuteran coral reefs has meant that a lot of scuba divers and overseas tourists have enjoyed visiting the area, but human errors in threatening the ecological environment have endangered the coral reefs existence. For those with an ecological conscience on the need of natural preservation must have noticed the aggravated condition of the reefs due over-exploitation of limestone and bomb fishing to the disadvantage of the northern beaches, not just Pemuteran.
The idea to save Pemuteran’s coral reefs came about by joint action by an hotelier, Anak Agung Prana, assisted by experts from overseas, amongst others Chris Brown. The preservation project started in May 2000 (Vide article on: “Pemuteran Artificial Reef Project ‘Karang Lestari Pemuteran’)
The eco-tourism and conservation project was among 42 entries from around the world judged separately and individually by global environmentalists in five categories. Pemuteran was a nominee decided by Skal International Bali, on behalf of Skal International Indonesia, the former institution being one of the professional association’s five chapters in Indonesia.
Pemuteran Village was the only Asian winner among categories including Countryside, Mountains, Rivers and Lakes; Natural Parks and Protected Areas; Village and Rural Tourism; Beaches, Coasts and Islands; and Underwater.
Award winners were initially announced at the 63rd Skal World Congress held in Cairns, Australia, in early November, marking 2002 as the International Year of Eco-tourism.
Skal International Bali has gained additional recognition at the Skal World Congress with an “Order of Merit” for its actions and activities to assist victims and local residents during the October 12 bomb tragedy and its aftermath.
Skal International has a worldwide membership of 22,500 professionals in tourism affairs in more that 500 clubs in 86 countries. Skal International Indonesian encompasses chapters in Bali, Jakarta, Surabaya, with about 150 members.(dp)