Bali Tropic’s Gunawan Advises Government to Apply Openness

General Manager of Nusa Dua’s Bali Tropic Hotel, Gede Gunawan, after coming home from attending World Tourism Mart (WTM) in London, advised the Indonesian Government to apply openness in tackling 12 October Bali’s bombing tragedy to restore international confidence on the country’s security condition and image of Bali as safe, peaceful and calm placed.
Not less important for the government would be to lobby and negotiate the possible uprooting of ‘travel bans’ issued by some foreign countries such as the United States, Canada, Britain, and Germany, through channels of diplomacy. These states contributed a great deal of tourist visits in pre-blast seasons, now affecting hotel’s occupancy rate decline.
Gunawan confessed members of the Indonesian mission to WTM have not accomplished many sales and purchases of products during the event. Instead, Indonesian delegates have been more active in clarifying the country’s situation following the bombing tragedy resulting in 185 deaths. “Most foreign activists in tourism present in the mart expressed sympathy towards Bali, but they still have difficulties to bring vacationers here”, he stated, unable to foresee when such conditions woulderd.
It is insufficient for just sympathy shown to Bali. Now it depends on to be effort by the Government and all components of tourism to recover and rehabilitate tourism in Bali as soon as possible. The execution of travel bans, has affected foreign tour operator businesses not willing to sell Bali at least until March 2003.
Consequently, Gunawan hoped airlines such as Garuda, SIA, Cathay Pacific, and JAPAN airlines, to apply special rates to tour operators selling the Bali destination as a return to the airliners’ boom in the past from Bali. A special package price for spending nights in hotels would be favorable for Bali.
The Bangli-born man who was the former Hilton International Hotel’s director of sales, has recommended the government to seriously tackle the bombing mystery and to render financial bearings for the sake of the continuity of the tourism industry, mainly after year-end of 2002.
The fund would be at the disposal for backing up monthly expenditures for water and electricity, reaching hundreds of millions rupiahs. “Without immediate granting of this support fund, the only alternative would be a ‘PHK’ dismissal of employees,” Gunawan said, adding that entrepreneurs have borne too a high cost of operational, while occupancy rates have dived below 10 percent.
Mr. Gunawan has also recommended to his business partners not to exploit this opportunity to sell rooms at a very low rate to the disadvantage of small hotels. contrarilly such condition as it has been at present they should forge unity spirit for common enforcement to restore Bali’s economic development, especially in the tourism sector. (Poll)

I Putu Sukadana : Food & Beverage Director

After graduating from the Hotel & Tourism School in 1979, I Putu Sukadana worked as a Food and Beverage Manager for Bali Handara Kosaido & Country club in Pancasari, Singaraja until 1988. He continued his career as a Food and Beverage manager at Sahid Bali Seaside Hotel and Sheraton Lagoon-Nusa Dua Beach before joining Beluga Bali (Quicksliver Cruises) in Benoa. After having helped to set up L’ OASIS Restaurant & Bakery in Kedonganan, Denpasar he joined WAKA Management Consultancy. His extensive Food & Beverage experience made him the right consultant in the field of Product Development & Improvement of Food & Beverage. Now Kuta Paradiso is proud to present Mr. I Putu Sukadana as their new Food & Beverage Director. Mr. Sukadana’s extensive experience and knowledge in the field of Food and Beverage will enable Kuta Paradiso Hotel to provide a high quality dinning and wining experience to their distinguished guests.

Bart Roijakkers, Management Trainee

After having studied for one semester as an exchange student at Universitas Udayana in Denpasar, Bart Roijakkers from The Netherlands has joined Kuta Paradiso Hotel as a Management Trainee since 1 August 2002. He will work as well in Public Relations as the Marketing department of Kuta Paradiso Hotel until January 2003. After having graduated from a joint International Business Program between Economic Lyceum Eindhoven and South Thames College London he has studied now for 4 years at the International Business School in Groningen, The Netherlands. To finalize his Marketing & Management studies he left for Indonesia in February to study and work for one year on the island of Bali. Working, living and applying his skills in a completely different culture has been a fascinating and joyful experience for him and he is looking forward to stay on Bali for a longer time.