Visit Lombok Sumbawa (VLS) 2012 Launched By Minister of Culture and Tourism

Minister of Culture and Tourism / Menteri Kebudayaan Dan Pariwisata (Menbudpar) Jero Wacik said Lombok island, West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) is one of 10 best locations of MICE (Meeting, Incentive, Convention and Exhibition) in Indonesia.

He revealed that during the launch of Visit Lombok Sumbawa (VLS) in 2012 with the target one million tourists, in the area of Senggigi tourism, West Lombok Regency, West Nusa Tenggara, on Monday (6 / 7).

Launching of VLS 2012 begins with the International Ecotourism Business Forum (IEBF), which aims to assist the Government of the Province of West Nusa Tenggara to marketing its tourism commodity as has happened in other areas when previously conducting IEBF.

"We already have three best locations of MICE followed more than 5000 participants such as Bali, Jakarta and Manado," he said. Meanwhile best MICE location with the number of participants is less than 5000 people in 10 areas including the island of Lombok.

Therefore, providing IEBF 2009 was held in Lombok, 5-6 June, followed by buyers from 10 countries and at least 25 vendors (sallers) from within the country.

IEBF unites sallers with buyers from the UK, Germany, United Arab Emirates, Thailand, Hong Kong, Singapore, Korea, India, France and Indonesia. "One of the many excellent commodities discussed on the IEBF 2009 is pearls," he said.

Jero Wacik said by the IEBF organization in Lombok then businesses from the various countries involved actively promoting NTB's pearl categorized as best in the world. This means that the best pearl in the world to grow and can be harvested on the Lombok island. "We show that the world's best pearls is in Lombok," he said.

Datas version of Fisheries and Marine NTB showed the potential land of pearl development in the area of NTB reach 19,056 hectares which can produce an average of 1.4 to 1.8 tons / year.

Approximately 10-30 percent of the total production of pearls each year shipped to Surabaya and Jakarta for further exported to various countries by 38 pearl companies.

Meanwhile, The results of Department of Marine and Fisheries research, NTB-pearl products classified in groups A (high quality), B (medium) and C (low). Classification A has selling value Rp.1 million per gram, grade B Rp. 150 thousand per gram and classification C Rp. 100 thousand per gram.

NTB Provincial Government has offered to host the international pearl auction market in 2010, so they now trying to build the center of international scale pearl auction.

Early 2010, Lombok International Airport / Bandara Internasional Lombok (BIL) in Penujak, Jai Batu District, Central Lombok, which is in the process of development, can be used.