Jumat, 12 Jul 2019 23:32
Daerah : Jakarta
By Fardah
Jakarta, 12/7 (Antara) -
East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) Province is famous for Komodo National Park,
which comprises Komodo, Padar, and Rinca islands as well as 26 smaller
ones, and was founded in 1980 to protect the Komodo dragon.
The Komodo dragon (Veranus Komodoensis), is the world's only surviving giant lizard.
In
1977, the Komodo National Park was named a biosphere reserve by the
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
(UNESCO), and in 1991, it was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In
2012, it was listed as the New 7 Wonders of Nature sites.
Komodo
Island is located near Labuan Bajo, which is one of the 10 priority
tourist destinations designated by the government as "New Bali." The
nine other destinations are Borobudur in Central Java; Mandalika on
Lombok Island, West Nusa Tenggara; Bromo-Tengger-Semeru in East Java;
Pulau Seribu in North Jakarta; Lake Toba in North Sumatra; Wakatobi in
Southeast Sulawesi; Tanjung Lesung in Banten; Morotai in the northern
region of Halmahera in the Maluku Islands; and Tanjung Kelayang in
Belitung, Bangka Belitung.
Both Komodo Island and Labuan Bajo
are located in West Manggarai District on Flores Island, and they are
the backbone of the tourism industry of NTT, in particular, and
Indonesia, in general. The Komodo National Park recorded revenue
amounting to Rp32 billion from tourist visits to the park during 2018,
an increase from Rp29 billion in the previous year. A total of 176,830
tourists, comprising 121,409 foreigners and 55,421 Indonesians, had
visited the Komodo National Park last year, a surge from 119,599
visitors in 2017.
The Indonesian Tourism Ministry has set a
target to attract some 20 million foreign tourists in 2019. During the
January-April 2019 period, Indonesia had received 5.12 million foreign
tourists, a 3.22 percent rise as compared to 4.96 percent during the
corresponding time frame in the previous year.
Labuan Bajo
area, in general, is being prioritized by the government as a new
tourist destination that should be developed further. The Public Works
and Public Housing (PUPR) Ministry has readied a budget of Rp50 billion
to construct the Lintas Utara road section to support the development of
the National Tourism Strategic Area in Labuan Bajo.
"We have
planned to develop 10 new destinations for the last two years. We will
prioritize four of them, including Labuan Bajo," President Joko Widodo
(Jokowi) said while visiting Puncak Waringin in Labuan Bajo, July 10,
2019.
Labuan Bajo needs to be totally revamped by prioritizing
attractive local art and cultural events to woo domestic and foreign
tourists. The government will accelerate the development of
infrastructure including an airport in Labuan Bajo to boost local
tourism. Puncak Waringin covers a hilly area of one hectare and will be
equipped with a souvenir center, an amphitheater, an open green area,
and an observation deck.
"Next year, at the latest, everything
has to be completed, including terminal, airport, and runway," Chandra A
Kurniawan, a presidential spokesman, quoted the president as saying, in
a statement.
The president wanted the airports in the regions
where tourist destinations existed to be managed by those having an
international tourism network, he added.
In the meantime, East
Nusa Tenggara's tourism and creative economic office has identified
1,181 tourist attractions located in 22 districts and municipalities in
the province. The new tourist attractions will be developed by involving
the local villages to boost the province's rural economy.
The
NTT tourism office will promote at least five newly developed tourism
attractions These include Liman Beach on Semau Isle in Kupang District,
Mulut Seribu waters in Rote Ndao District, and Fatumnasi natural and
cultural tourism attractions in South Timur Tengah. Raknamo Dam in
Kupang and Rotiklot Dam in Belu are among the new tourism attractions.
Other
attractions to be further promoted are the Praimadita traditional
kampong in East Sumba District, Moru Beach in Alor District, and
Kelimutu National Park in Ende District, Flores Island.
"New
natural and cultural tourism attractions have been identified," Wayan
Darmawa, head of the NTT tourism and creative economic office, stated in
Kupang recently.
The natural ecosystem and culture are the
strengths of these attractions. The NTT government will focus on
promoting environmental and cultural preservation to support sustainable
tourism. Traditional houses and kampongs will be preserved.
Earlier,
the NTT chapter of the Indonesian Travel Agent Association (Asita)
voiced its support to the provincial administration's plan to develop
the new tourist destinations in a bid to drive its tourism industry in
2019.
"The policy related to the development of the seven
destinations is correct. We, as business players, support it, as the
government is undoubtedly responsible for the management of tourist
destinations," Abed Frans, the Asita NTT chairman, remarked in June
2019.
He is optimistic that the new destinations would be able to attract domestic and foreign tourists. (INE)
EDITED BY INE
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