World Tourism Day Celebrated in Bali
The World Tourism Day has been annually celebrated on September 27th since 1980. This year, Indonesia is proud to celebrate the day in a form of special events, under the title called Bali Bike Fest 2006. This festivity is planned to spin on September 16th ” 17th, 2006 in Bali, bringing along a main theme: Bali Bike Fest 2006 Peace Through Tourism. The goal of the celebration is to bring everyone, individually, as families, or as a community, to have fun through tourism activities, which is bicycling at this certain point, said Mr. Shigemitsu from Jalan Tour.
Bicycling has been a very familiar activity to all Indonesian and other foreign tourists who will be involved in the event, said Mrs. Titin Sukarya, the Director of Domestic Tourism Promotion in the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of RI. Her statement was supported by Mr. Tatang Rukhiyat, saying that this event will bring many international tourists and by bicycling, tourists can genuinely observe the culture and the people of Bali. He also added that Bali Recovery is even faster to achieve by staging the event in the island known as the Best Tourist Island in the World in 2005.
Several supporters of the events are the Minister of Culture and Tourism of RI, H.E. Jero Wacik, UN-WTO, PATA (including Indonesia Chapter and also Bali and Lesser Sunda Chapter), the Governor of Bali, Bali Tourism Guide, and Jalan Tour.
Although the main interest of the event would be stressed on the fun part, there are also strings of sub-events in forms of competitions and other festivities. To name some of the activities being scheduled are Full Day Fun Bike, Mountain Bike Cross Country and Gravity Arts, Road and Mountain Bike Recreational Rides, BMX Show, Artist Bike Decoration Contest, Bazaar Food Court, Outdoor Games, Movie Park, and Music and Culture Show.
Minister Wacik is scheduled to open the occasion in the morning in front of thousands of 2,500 participants as targeted by the committee. The UN-WTO has challenged any nation who is able to bring the celebration into a spectacular event three years in a row, giving it a chance to enter a bidding session for a host of The World Tourism Day and listing it on the Calendar of Events of the UN-WTO, Mr. Shigemitsu added.
The Ministry of Cutlure and Tourism of RI is supporting such event in order to boost international tourist arrivals and also to generate more trips within the domestic travelers. The impact that tourism brings toward peoples welfare is going to be noticeable as the event rolls along the scenic roads in Balinese villages and beaches. It is important to note that the event will ring a bell that Bali is still safe to visit and always be a tourist island that worth visiting.