Exhibition: Indonesia, calling all tourists

Second Indonesian Solo Exhibition held focusing on tourism in Indonesia.

KARACHI: Gong ringing, choreographed dances and a plethora of Indonesian products on display marked the opening of the second Indonesian Solo Exhibition at Beach Luxury hotel on Friday.

The exhibition, which serves as a platform for local and Indonesian businessmen to explore new markets, was inaugurated by provincial minister for power Shazia Marri, along with the Ambassador of the Republic of Indonesia Ishak Latuconsina and Consul General Rossalis R Adenan. Marri had the honour of striking an Indonesian gong three times to launch the exhibition. Mementos were then presented by the Indonesian Ambassador to Marri.

The evening opened with a cultural dance from Bali, the Puspawresti, which depicted the dancers visiting their village. The dance was performed by Indonesian children living in Karachi. Following the dance were speeches by Marri and Latuconsina to officially inaugurate the exhibition.

Marri said that it was important to promote the relationship between the two countries, which could be through trade or person-to-person contact, and that the exhibition served as a perfect platform. Speaking on Indonesia, she said that the official motto of the country ‘unity in diversity’ described it best.

She said that the cultural display presented by Indonesia today was inspirational as Sindh was set to celebrate Cultural Day on December 4. After the speech, Marri presented her Ajrak to the Ambassador, thanking him for letting Karachi host the exhibition.

The Ambassador, addressing the attendees, spoke on the importance of tourism for Indonesia. “Tourism is a growing industry in Indonesia. It helps develop the economy and create new jobs,” he said.

He hoped that the exhibition would help businessmen from both sides in developing strategies with their counterparts.

The inauguration ceremony closed with another cultural dance, the Piring, from Sumatra.

The ceremony, which was attended by foreign dignitaries and local businessmen, displayed Indonesian products being sold in the Pakistani market and cultural stalls set up by the Indonesian Embassy.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 4^th, 2010.