INTERVIEW WITH DESAK MADE INTAN SARI DIRECTOR OF HYGIENE, SAFETY & SUSTAINABILITY THE APURVA KEMPINSKI BALI

In your opinion, what key trends will dominate the luxury travel sector this year?
Based on the market research done by our marketing team, we identified there are 9 tourism trends in  2024 – 2025, including Personalised Service, Digital Guest Experience, Health & Wellness, B-Leisure  Travellers, Cultural Encounters, Joyful Design, Experiential Retail, Sustainability Practices, and  F&B Innovation.

Out of these nine trends, four of them resonate with us here at The Apurva Kempinski Bali. Namely,  Wellness, Culture, Sustainability, and Dining Excellence, which are the four pillars of our 2025  campaign of Powerful Indonesia to the World.

You recently launched the 2025 Annual Campaign: Powerful Indonesia to the world. How is this  year’s campaign different from the previous ones.
The 2025 ‘Powerful Indonesia to the World’ campaign expands beyond its deep-rooted Indonesian  narrative to embrace a more global perspective while maintaining the authenticity of Indonesian  culture. Unlike previous years, where the focus was primarily on highlighting Indonesia’s rich  traditions and heritage, this year’s campaign is designed to connect Indonesia with the world,  engaging international audiences and fostering cross-cultural collaborations.

Key differences in 2025 include:

• Global Integration: The campaign amplifies Indonesia’s presence on the world stage, incorporating international collaborations in culinary, wellness, sustainability, and art.

• Sustainability Leadership: With Apurva Kempinski Bali now recognised as a benchmark in luxury sustainability, we are strengthening our decarbonisation mission and biodiversity initiatives, including global recognition efforts and programmes – establishing our resort as the centre hub for sustainability and community education.

• New Flagship Initiatives: This year introduces the Global Wellness Program, Musical program with Indonesia’s maestro – Indra Lesmana, the Path to Sustainable Growth Summit, and the Lady in Red Celebration – which all incorporate international thought leaders, chefs, and artists while reinforcing Indonesia’s cultural identity.

How does The Apurva Kempinski Bali approach the balance between welcoming visitors and  preserving Bali’s natural and cultural heritage?
Since the onset of our property, are committed to harmonising luxury hospitality with sustainability and cultural preservation. Our approach is deeply rooted in Bali’s Tri Hita Karana philosophy, which  emphasises the balance between humans, nature, and the Universe while remaining strong in  Indonesia as our identity. We ensure that our operations, guest experiences, and community initiatives  align with this philosophy while providing world-class hospitality.We are committed to sustainability, actively reducing carbon emissions, using solar energy, water  conservation systems, and architecture that blends with Bali’s natural landscape. We showcase the  beauty of Bali and the power of Indonesia through collective cultural and environmental efforts with  our highly acclaimed partners, such as musicians, local artisans, performers, and farmers – ensuring  that tourism directly benefits Bali’s creative and agricultural communities. interactive guest  experiences are also offered – inviting visitors to learn about Balinese and Indonesian traditions  through hands-on craft workshops, rituals, and wellness programs.

What sustainability initiatives has the hotel introduced to enhance guest experience while  supporting environmental and community well-being?
Sustainability has been part of our brand strategy since the resort was opened in 2019 and will  continue to be the core of our strategies and operations encompassing the ESG framework  (Environmental, Social, and Governance).

The resort’s architecture and design reflect the majestic landscape of Indonesia, its heritage,  aesthetics, and craftsmanship. The annual campaigns also preserve Indonesian cultures and  traditions, presented in a series of curated guest experiences while highlighting Indonesia’s 7 main  regions: Sumatra, Nusa Tenggara, Java, Kalimantan, Sulawesi, Maluku, and Papua. Throughout  the year we present a number of events where we celebrate Indonesian craftsmanship through arts,  music, cuisine, and literacy involving the local communities. One of the examples is we hosted the  Singapadu mask association to exhibit their craftsmanship in the lobby as part of Gallery of Art,  while preserving their multi-generational legacy.

We are collaborating with similar-minded partners to nurture local communities and preserve the  environment. We collaborate with Samsara Living Museum for the Sustainable Agriculture program.

It is a comprehensive regenerative farming and training initiative aimed to share skills and  knowledge to the farmer communities, empowering them to increase the quality of the produce,  supply-chain management, and quality control. At the moment, we are at the stage of purchasing the  harvested products to be used in the resort. In the long run, we hope these farmers could supply  locally produced products to hotels, resorts, and restaurants in Bali.

The resort’s Decarbonisation programme includes Electric Vehicle experience for our guests to  explore the area of Nusa Dua and Green Airport Transfer in collaboration with Nissan Indonesia. We  also invite guests to participate in mangrove planting through our ‘Seeds for Life’ program at Koral  and Reef Beach Club. Another exciting project this year is the launch of a carbon calculator app in  collaboration with Jejakin where guests could calculate the carbon footprint from their current trip to  stay with us and are encouraged to offset it with tree planting. Moreover, other eco-conscious  initiatives implemented in the resort include Rooftop Hydroponic Garden which produce are used in all kitchen throughout the resort, reusable glass bottles, wooden key cards, and biodegradable coffee  pods.

Moreover, we nurture a close relationship with the local communities surrounding the resort by  contributing to their village and temples, actively participating in village and beach clean-up,  ensuring local talent recruitment, and more. The resort’s Asha Boutique & Gallery partners with  local businesses and communities to showcase Indonesia’s arts and crafts. We have Talent  Development Program where we partner with educational institutions to provide on-the-job training through several programs, including Sekolah Apurva with Politeknik Negeri Bali, The Apurva Chef program with Bali Culinary Pastry School, Kampus Apurva with Batam Tourism Polytechnic, and Apurva Spa Academy with Sumba Hospitality Foundation. Comprehensive training and education programmes are also curated for our team members, driven by a dedicated team of Training &  Quality Management.

More initiatives will continue to be implemented, incorporating sustainability practices to be part of  the operation and guest experiences. To us, sustainability is a journey, one that has to continue to  evolve.

How do you see the future of tourism in Bali evolving toward a more sustainable and thoughtful  approach?
Sustainability is becoming increasingly important in the hospitality industry with increased awareness  amongst the businesses as well as the travellers. We see this as an opportunity to position ourselves as  a sustainability leader, inspiring other hotels to adopt and uphold meaningful initiatives.  Collaborating with similar-minded partners and sourcing our products responsibly will encourage  collective effort in fostering a valuable business ecosystem that drives long-term economic growth,  responsible operations, and meaningful engagement with local communities. Ultimately, it is our  collective objective to achieve regenerative tourism for Bali.

Which leader do you admire most and why?
Vincent Guironnet, the General Manager of The Apurva Kempinski Bali, as he is a visionary and open-minded towards the approach in sustaining our operation, engaging with guests and  communities, and ultimately sustaining the business. Aside from the resort operation, he is also very  caring and understand the needs of his team, ensuring the team at every level in every department are  nurtured, motivated, and engaged through several activities, trainings, workshops, and more.

What are your biggest challenges in your line of work?
The biggest challenge in my line of work is to ensure sustainability initiatives are incorporated as part  of the resort’s operation, not as separate programs, while at the same time ensuring the guests’ luxury  resort experience is not compromised. Aligning the mindset of the stakeholders in the implementation  of sustainable initiatives is also a challenge. However, as a team in the resort we manage to always  find solutions to ensure smooth implementation of any programs without compromising the daily  operation and guests’ overall experience.

How do you balance work and personal life?
I love what I do and very passionate on continuing to find ways and solutions for a more sustainable  future. At the same time, family, community engagement, and religious rituals are very important to  me as a Balinese. Therefore, time management is the key to maintaining the balance between my work, family, community, and spiritual needs. Essentially, it is about Tri Hita Karana, ensuring  harmony between myself with people, nature, and God.