Bali is gearing up to welcome the Annual Meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, happening later this year, by improving various infrastructure and amenities.
The meeting from October 8 to 14 will be the biggest event to ever take place on the island with 15,000 delegates from 168 countries.
A total of 1,200 meetings will take place in 89 venues across two convention centres and hotels. As well, 4,600 hotel rooms in Nusa Dua have been booked to accommodate delegates.
In addition, state-owned airport operator Angkasa Pura I, which manages Ngurah Rai International Airport, is expanding the airport’s apron to allow 11 additional parking stands, bringing the available slots up to a total 63 aircraft. This development is currently underway and is expected be ready in time for the meeting.
Improvements are also being made to the regency’s infrastructure. The 712m-long Ngurah Rai Underpass – set to be ready in August – will reduce traffic congestion around the Ngurah Rai Statue roundabout by 50 per cent.
Badung Regency stretches from southern Nusa Dua, Uluwatu and Jimbaran to Seminyak and Canggu along the west coast, up to Mengwi and Plaga in the northern part of the territory.
The regency is in the midst of developing itself into a ‘smart city’. A project, which involves the installation of 385 CCTV cameras in 986 locations across the regency, as well as a Wi-Fi network, is scheduled to be completed by October.
Addressing the media at the Bali and Beyond Travel Fair 2018 held in Bali last week, I Made Badra, Badung Regency’s head of tourism, said: “The CCTV cameras are placed at tourist attractions and other strategic locations to provide safety and security for travellers and the community alike. The Wi-Fi network will be available across the regency free of charge to (enable tourists to stay connected).”
These, according to Badra, will not only be available during the conference period but will become part of the service the regency provides to both locals and travellers.
Meanwhile to make it easier for delegates to move around, the regional government has provided 20-seat buses, and put in place a traffic central system. In addition, some 9,000 members of police force and pecalang (Balinese traditional guards) will be on duty during the event.
