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Pioneering real estate company looks back on a successful 12 months, which included the launch of Gran Meliá Lombok and delivered lasting benefits to communities all across the island.
LOMBOK, INDONESIA – As the end of the year approaches, Invest Islands, Lombok’s leading real estate company, is reflecting on a productive 12 months that has seen it launch its most spectacular project to-date, Gran Meliá Lombok, while also providing fresh hope and inspiration to local people and communities through the Invest Islands Foundation.
This charitable organisation was called into action at the start of the year, following the flash floods that swept through Lombok last December, destroying homes, damaging bridges and prompting an evacuation of 6,500 people. In January, Invest Islands Foundation helped the relief effort by distributing emergency supplies, including food, water, blankets and school supplies. It also joined forces with the Mandala Foundation to offer humanitarian aid to disadvantaged families and children in Lombok, including financial support to enable educational scholarships for 1,300 orphans.
Sustainability was at the top of the agenda in February, as an “Eco Charette” gathered 25 team members and partners to Lombok to devise the strategies for the Mandala Eco-Village development. These ideas and concepts focused on areas such as energy, water, waste, construction, design, transport and more, forging the group’s strategic CSR path for the rest of year. Construction of Gaia Villa was completed in March and it has been fully booked every day since – the first in a series of major development milestones in 2022.
In April, Invest Islands officially unveiled its most important project: Gran Meliá Lombok. Woven into the landscape at Torok Bay, overlooking the Indian Ocean on Lombok’s south coast, this breath-taking destination features a collection of hillside duplexes and residences, plus a clubhouse with world-class facilities, all managed by Meliá Hotels International. A press briefing in Jakarta allowed the world to see what this one-of-a-kind luxury retreat will look like when it opens in 2025.
Following this initial unveiling, Invest Islands headed to the Jakarta Property Expo in May to showcase this prestigious project to potential high-end buyers. This would be the first in a series of regional industry events that the company’s executive and sales teams would attend in 2022, generating a real buzz around Gran Meliá Lombok. The group also hosted a gathering of regional and international in Singapore this month. The charitable activities did not stop, however; Invest Islands Foundation came together with Gawah Bonga Foundation for the Cares (Community Based Reforestation) campaign, which educated villagers about the impact of deforestation and climate change, and gave practical advice on how they can help to reverse it.
Then in July, Mandala Foundation embarked on a new CSR initiative to provided aid and assistance to 300 local families in locations around Mandala Eco-Village. Together with the Islamic Relief Indonesia Foundation, up to IDR 1.2 million per month was pledged to cover the basic needs of underprivileged families.
This was followed in August and September by the “Hunger Prevention Program,” which delivered financial support to 300 orphaned or neglected children, the “Fostering Multi-stakeholder Alliance for Pro Poor and Gender Sensitive Low Carbon Development & Climate Resilience Program,” which benefited 150 people, and the “Free Cataract Surgery Program,” which was supported by Fred Hollow Foundation and Rumah Sakit Mata NTB eye hospital and provided critical eyecare to 100 visually-impaired people in rural communities. Also in September, Invest Islands headed to Phuket to attend PHIST, Southeast Asia’s biggest responsible travel and hospitality forum, which tackled the region’s key sustainability topics and supported the green recovery of tourism following the global pandemic.
Land degradation was at the top of the agenda in October, as Invest Islands Foundation teamed up with Gugah Nurani Indonesia to launch the “Regenerative Agriculture Farming Center,” which works with young people to reduce bad farming practices, reverse soil degradation and create long-term income for all residents. It also joined forces with Indonesian Islamic Relief Foundation and Ecolab to establish the “Lombok Eco-Hub,” which will address the issue of waste management.
Invest Islands headed to Singapore in October to attend its first Hotel Investment Conference Asia Pacific (HICAP) and present Gran Meliá Lombok to savvy investors from across the region. Delegates were given the latest project updates, including the fact that 65% of work had been completed on the stunning Kayma and Inspiral villas, and that the main road has now been paved. It also revealed details of the clubhouse, which will feature a restaurant, sea-facing bar, upmarket retail outlets, a fitness centre, spa village, co-working space, events pavilion, ocean club and freeform flowing pools with waterfalls and rippling streams.
November was an important month for Lombok, as the Indonesian round of the FIM Superbike World Championship attracted 45,000 spectators to the island’s Mandalika International Circuit. This high-octane event will return in March, before the main MotoGP series heads to Lombok in October 2023.
“2022 was one of the most pivotal years in the history of Invest Islands, and we can look back on the last 12 months with a tremendous amount of pride. The official launch of Gran Meliá Lombok was a major milestone, but what gives us the most satisfaction is our commitment to the community. Invest Islands Foundation has continued to build a better future for local people, including initiatives to generate income, create employment and conserve the environment. Looking ahead to 2023, we invite more people to experience the wonders of Lombok and embrace the spirit of responsible travel,” said Kevin Deisser, CEO & co-founder of Invest Islands.
Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.
