NTB to the stage of the pearls festival

For those with opportunity to visit West Nusa Tenggara this weekend, a festival should be the pearl of your itinerary.


The West Nusa Tenggara administration to the fourth Lombok, Sumbawa Pearl Festival of Mataram Lombok Island June 30 - July 1 key.

West Nusa Tenggara tourism agency Lalu Faozal Moh secretary said Wednesday that tourism and creative industries minister Mari Elka Pangestu at the inaugural event was arbitration.

"[The event] is expected to Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara and the world revolves around Pearl Pearl icon in the world," he said in Mataram, adding that the event is also expected that tourism and trade in the Pearl increased surface.

He said the province had a unique feature that no other potential gems province had in the country.

He said provincial bronze pearls, emerald green and metal were rare in other parts of the world worketh found.

There are at least 20 Sea Pearl company in the islands of Lombok and Sumbawa work to grow in a growing area of 600 hectares, according Faozal. Four of the companies are foreign owned and the rest of the state, where about 3,000 people.

The province produces 600 800 kg bis annual accounts, with 90 percent of them in other countries, including Japan to go, and the generation of 80 billion rupees (U.S. $ 8.48 million) per year .

"That number comes only from pearl culture and does not include sales of [] generated by the artisanal sector," said Faozal.

"This [the industry] Pearl and the potential for a lot of jobs in West Nusa Tenggara has nothing to do."

Event Committee chairman Bagus Surya said that as in previous editions, the festival will be auctioned the following account, considering that 22 potential buyers from China, Hong Kong, France, England, Tahiti and Indonesia, and includes three of the largest companies Indonesia as a seller of pearls.

"This time, 200 kilograms of quality South Sea Pearls will be auctioned off for $ 250,000," he said, adding he expects the number does not include Gem Craft.

The auction last year posted total transactions of $ 96,000 and has increased the prices of pearls to $ 16.3 per ounce of $ 5 increase per gram in 2010, he said.

He said that Lombok was the number one worldwide in terms of quality pearl oyster Pinctada Maxima pearl with her to be beautiful in the world.

West Nusa Tenggara Tourism Promotion Agency head Wolini Ni Ketut said that 32 exploration stands Lombok pearl arts and crafts for visitors.

"Tourists can also learn about the ecosystem of water if kept West Nusa Tenggara, which has a potential for marine tourism," said Wolini.

The agency has registered 860 000 tourists in the province in 2011 and hope to see 1 million tourists this year, said Wolini.