Special Feature
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CHINESE STUDENTS LOVE LOMBOK ADVENTURE
Students from China’s top School of Tourism Management, Zhuhai Campus at Sun Yat-sen University in Guangdong have just returned from a field study trip which included Singapore, Bali and Lombok.
The 19 students were led by Dr Fleur Fallon and Dr Zhao Ying. Dr Fallon has been to Lombok many times and, in 2002, completed her doctoral thesis on “Tourism Interrupted: the Challenge of Sustainability for Lombok Island 1987-2001” with the University of New England in Australia. In 2013, more than 387,000 mainland Chinese arrived in Bali – and in the first half of 2014, Chinese arrivals have increased by more than 45% – making the Chinese market the second largest in Bali, after Australia. More Chinese are also starting to make the journey to Lombok, and the students plan to act as honorary ambassadors for Lombok tourism. Crossing the Lombok Straits by fast boat from Bali, some students then adventured by local perahu (outrigger boats) to Gili Meno and Gili Air to snorkel for the first time and to see the colourful fish on both islands. Others explored the local beaches, restaurants and the Art Market in Senggigi. Their visit included meeting ViceGovernor, H Muh Amin, tourism officials and local students from the University
Students of the School of Tourism Management at Sun Yat-sen University in China meet NTB Vice-Governor H Muh Amin and tourism officials in Mataram
of Mataram. Eating spicy Lombok food and singing at a local Taliwang restaurant were highlights of their visit. For their final adventure, the students visited pottery and weaving villages, and then the pure white sand beach at Mawun in the south, before flying out from Lombok International Airport. “We love the unique architecture, the harmony between Hindu religion and daily life in Bali,” student leader Zou Zhijian (Justin) said, “We love the natural beaches and relaxed pace of Lombok, as well as the attractive city sights, museums and events of Singapore.” “We can recommend Singapore and Bali as a holiday destination for families and couples. Lombok is for the more adventurous who are seeking close contact with nature in the sea and in
the mountains,” Justin summarized. “For the vision of island development, we would like to see more attention paid to infrastructure – roads, footpaths, plastic waste management, traffic management and more signage, brochures and menus in Chinese in Indonesia.” “We are the internet generation, so WIFI connectivity is important for us, and therefore up-to-date and easy to find information on the internet is critical for Chinese destination decision-making – for business, education, or for leisure.” “For some of us, this was the first time to go overseas. Each destination we visited has its special attractions. Next year we will study in Angers, France. We will remember to be ambassadors for tourism to Singapore, and to Indonesia, especially Bali and Lombok islands.” “We also hope the promotion of the 200th anniversary of the eruption of Mount Tambora in Sumbawa will attract not only Jackie Chan, the official Ambassador for Chinese tourism, to Indonesia but also many more Chinese with a deep passion and respect for exploring nature – both the mountains and the sea of Lombok – ‘indah sekali’ (very beautiful)!”