West Flores: Komodo and So Much More
May 7, 2008 - 6:11 am

Tourism Stakeholders from West Flores & Komodo Visit Bali to Promote Tourism.

Tour operators, accommodation providers and the Regional Government of West Flores (Manggarai Barat) are combining forces to launch their burgeoning tourism industry via a gala dinner reception in Bali on Wednesday, April 23, 2008 at the Ramada Bintang Bali Resort & Spa. Some 200 leaders from the Bali tourism industry have been invited to join a gala evening which will include Flores culinary specialties, traditional cultural performances and exciting door prices.

The event, which coincides with the launch of the regions tourism branding program of "West Flores: Komodo and So Much More" also coincides with the opening in May of the 59 room 4-star Bintang Flores Hote.

The Bali promotion represents a joint effort of the Government of Manggarai Barat, the tourism stakeholders of the region, the Bintang Flores Resort and the WiSaTa Project - a tourism initiative in the West Flores funded by Swisscontact and the Australian Government (AusAid).

Leading tourism stakeholders from West Flores led by the Regent (Bupati) of West Flores, Drs Wilfridus Fidelis Pranda, will travel to Bali to act as co-hosts with the Bintang Flores Hotel of the evening dinner reception. Key players representing West Flores' accommodation providers, tour operators and dive boat operators will stay on in Bali for two days of one-on-one meetings with key tour operators based in Bali.

Swisscontact is facilitating the Cocktail reception and Bali Sales Blitz together with the government of West Manggarai and members of the tourism industry to promote the West Flores tourism destination to the major representatives of the Bali Travel Industry and to launch the destination branding of "West Flores: Komodo & So Much More" and the innovative West Flores Promotional Portfolio.

Thomas Ulrich, the WiSaTa Project Manager based in Labuan Bajo explained his team's goals, saying: "The Swisscontact WiSATA Project, based on an Australian Government - AusAID initiative, started in June 2006 and aims to improve the performance of tourism service providers in West Manggarai through creating a more conducive environment for pro-poor tourism in terms of more and better tourism services and facilities, more effective promotion functions and better government planning and service delivery. The project works in partnership with the district government of West Manggarai and the private sector. It is expected that more and better tourism products combined with effective promotion and marketing, will lead to increased average length of stay, increased average spending, and higher visitor numbers, resulting in more full and part time employment opportunities and increased government and household income.A strong focus is given on the promotion and the first steps of development of new mainland based tourism products, allowing income generation and job opportunities in remote rural areas."

Among the highlights of the Gala West Flores Evening will be brief presentations on new tourism products from Komodo and West Flores, musical presentations, West Flores food items taken from a cook book project being spearheaded by the WiSaTa Project and a number of exciting door prizes