Indonesia's Coordinating Minister for Home Affairs, Luhut B Pandjaitan held a press conference at the Trans Media office in Jakarta recently at which he said the IMF-World Bank Annual Meeting in Bali will have an important trickle down effect for the country's tourism industry.

In addition to more visitors and an increase in hotel occupancies, small and medium enterprises (SMEs) will also reap the benefits. SMEs have been tasked with providing merchandise for the event, which will not be solely Bali-themed. The government is also involving SMEs from Lombok, Labuan Bajo, Lake Toba, Borobudur and Banyuwangi, which are on the list of destinations for participants to visit while they are in Bali. 

At a glance:

• The IMF-World Bank Annual Meeting will be held in Nusa Dua from October 8-14
• Opening address by the President of the Republic of Indonesia, H.E. Joko Widodo
• Up to 15,000 people expected to attend.
• Around 3,500 delegates from 189 member countries
• 1,000 media representatives
• 5,000 participants representing the private sector, the banking community, academic institutions, civil society organizations, observers and parliamentarians

Luhut also believes Gunung Agung does not pose a threat to the event. The government has been keeping a close eye on the volcano's activity and even simulated a variety of scenarios based around Agung's most severe event, which occurred in 1963. That eruption had a 12-kilometre blast radius and Nusa Dua, where the IMF-World Bank Annual Meeting is being held, is almost 80-kilometres away. He also added the wind is blowing to the west away from Nusa Dua so even if there was a severe eruption it would not have an impact.

Luhut also referenced the recent volcanic activity in Hawaii, which was much more violent and dramatic than Agung and instead of being given international travel warnings and fear-based press reports, it actually became an opportunity for tourism. "We're thinking Agung could be a tourist attraction as well, as in Hawaii," he said.

Source: Detik, AM2018 Bali

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