Flying the Russian flag in Bali

The Russian ambassador to Indonesia, Alexander A. Ivanov, has appointed a honorary consul to represent his republic in Bali.

In a lavish ceremony held at the St. Regis Hotel in Nusa Dua featuring musical performers flown in from Russian for the occasion, Ambassador Ivanov installed a local tour operator, Chairul Nuku Kamika, as Russia’s “man in Bali” to assist the burgeoning number of Russian travels coming to Bali each year.

In 2008, a total of 58,233 Russians visited Bali.

The newly appointed Russian honorary consul Kamika told The Jakarta Post that he expects that number to grow dramatically in 2009. Kamika cited the Indonesian governments agreement to underwrite the cost of a “Visit Indonesia” exhibition in Moscow in March and the steady number of Russian charter flights as important supports in the effort to increase the number of Russian tourists to Bali.

Russian holidaymakers stay an average of 10-14 days in Indonesian spending as much as US$1,500 per day.

Ambassador Ivanov was accompanied on his visit to Bali by his wife, Lyudmila Ivanova.

The honorary consul of Russia in Bali is located at Jalan By Pass Ngurah Rai 118A in Jimbaran.