And in terms of volume it increased by 38.79 pct from 69,559 pcs in 2010 to 96,544 pcs in 2011, head of the Bali provincial administration public relations division I Ketut Teneng said in Denpasar on Monday.
He said the export of bone handicraft products from the island paradise included necklaces, rings and many other jewelries combined in such a way with metal making them look unique and attractive.
The handicraft makers and artists in Gianyar regency, the art center in Bali, are very creative in creating designs so that cattle bones which had been merely waste material, have now become commodities of high economic value.
Ketut Teneng also said that the local handicraft makers are also constantly making new designs to attract consumers.
Bali as a tourism destination of at least 2.5 million foreign tourists each year has become a potential marketing place for the products of small and household industries.
The exports of bone handicraft products were only those officially recorded at the local industrial and trade offices. Many foreign tourists coming to Bali for a holiday bought souvenirs including those made of bone.
Thus many different types of souvenirs bought by foreign tourists became difficult to monitor. The fact remained that the value of the trading of souvenirs produced by small and household industries abroad is much higher than those registered officially at the local industrial and trade offices.
The contribution of souvenirs made of bone is relatively small reaching only 0,03 pct of the total exports from Bali worth 497.86 million US dollars in 2011, Ketut Teneng said.
(Uu.H-NG/O001)
Editor: Priyambodo RH
Copyright © ANTARA 2012
