MT RINJANI CLIMBING SEASON OPENS ON MARCH 26

Mataram, Mar 10 (ANTARA) - The Mt Rinjani climbing season this year will be opened by the Mt Rinjami National Park (TNGR) management on March 26, 2009.

Head of West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) Culture and Tourism Agency Lalu Gita Ariadi said here Sunday the head of TNGR management Arief Toengkagie has invited NTB Governor KH. M. Zainul Majdi to conduct the official opening of the occasion.
The NTB culture and tourism agency has included the Rinjani Race in the annual tourism agenda which will kick off in 2009, to support efforts at meeting the projected number of foreign tourtists coming to the area.
TNGR was already well known in the international world because in 2004 it was granted the World Legacy Award from National Geographic as a tourist area successful in the development of ecotourim.
Last year, TNGR was one of the finalists for the Tourist for Tourism Award for Destination Award category held by the World Tourist and Tourism Council (WTC) based in London.
The two other finalists were tourist objects in the United States and Canada competing with 147 other tourist objects in 40 different countries in the management of tourism with focus on the empowerment of the local population.