BINTAN GEARING UP TO ATTRACT MORE FOREIGN TOURISTS

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, June 1 (Antara) - Bintan, located in proximity to Singapore and comprising almost three thousand beautiful isles in Riau Islands Province, is being developed into one of the country's tourist resort destinations.          "The government will support and provide facilities needed to develop Bintan as a tourist resort because the country has set itself a target to attract 20 million foreign tourists annually by 2020," Vice President Jusuf Kalla stated in Bintan while inaugurating several tourism facilities on the island on Sunday.          Bintan, which is also located close to Malaysia's Johor Bahru, has the potential to be developed into a popular tourist destination similar to Bali and other tourist resort destinations in the country.          Increasing number of well-known tourist resorts in the country with world-class facilities, such as those in Bintan, will help to increase the number of foreign tourist arrivals and help the country achieve its target of attracting 20 million foreign tourists.          "Additional tourism facilities such as these will provide better hospitality. I am confident that it will not be inferior to those offered in other places," Kalla remarked while expressing optimism that the target is achievable through good administration coupled with better infrastructure and services and hospitality.            According to Indonesia's Official Tourism Website, http://www.indonesia.travel, Bintan is the largest island in the Riau Archipelago, which comprises almost three thousand large and small islands.          The islands stretch from the Straits of Malacca all the way to the South China Sea. The town of Tanjung Pinang is the capital of this province, located on the south-western shore of Bintan.       Bintan offers comprehensive accommodation facilities including hotels and resorts at Bintan Resorts and also in Tanjung Pinang and around the island.          Bintan's main tourist attraction today is Bintan Resorts, a spectacular beach holiday destination in the northern part of the island, covering 23 thousand hectares along the entire sandy white coast that faces the South China Sea.          The island itself also has interesting historic remains in Tanjung Pinang and Penyengat and offers ample opportunities for surfing, adventure activities, and ecotours for schools and families. It is also ideal for relaxation and wellness.       Dive enthusiasts can explore the Anambas archipelago in the South China Sea, which offers pristine diving sites, accessible from Tanjung Pinang airport whereas the Natuna islands are reachable from Batam.          Hence, several world-class tourism companies have begun focusing on the island for their tourism investment.          Thus, during the inauguration of several tourism facilities by Vice President Kalla, a number of cooperation agreements were signed. PT Bintan Resort Cakrawala inked an agreement with PT Pasaraya Tosersajaya.          An agreement was also signed between PT Alam Bintan Lestari and Starwood Hotel and Resort.          Several investment cooperation agreements were signed between companies such as PT Serasi Mandiri Bintani and PT Prime Plaza Management, PT Bintan Pelangi Resort and PT Accor Asia Pacific (Ibis Style), PT Bintan Pelangi Resort and PT Accor Asia Pacific (Novotel), PT Malka Graha Bintan and Dialoog Hotel, as well as PT Tata Disantara and Ambhara Hotel, among others.          On May 20, the Jakarta Globe also reported that Landmarks Berhad, through its fully owned subsidiary PT Bintan Hotel Utama (PTBHU), entered into a joint venture (JV) agreement with ML Hotel Investments Pte Ltd (ML Hotel) to develop, own, and operate two international hotel chains in Treasure Bay Bintan.          Both hotels, Mercure and Ibis Budget, are expected to become operational in 2017 and will be managed by the Accor Group.          On completion, Mercure, at a height of 10 storeys, will be the island's tallest landmark. It will offer 182 new keys to Treasure Bay Bintan, of which 114 long-term leases will be made available for sale.          Ibis Budget will feature 162 tourist-class rooms, adding variety and accessibility to the selection of international and boutique brand names to the destination.          "With this JV and other partnerships with international hospitality brands in the pipeline, we are poised to position Treasure Bay Bintan as Southeast Asia's leading leisure destination. We are confident that Phase I of Treasure Bay Bintan will serve as a catalyst in creating lasting real estate value and augmenting Bintan's tourism offerings, by bringing in unique leisure and entertainment concepts not found anywhere else in the region," Chief Operating Officer of Landmarks Berhad Fong Chee Khuen was quoted by the Jakarta Globe as saying.          In the meantime, during the  February 2014 Singapore Airshow in Singapore, national flag carrier PT Garuda Indonesia signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Singapore-based investment company Gallant Venture to develop an airport and maintenance facility in Bintan.          Bintan will become Garuda's sixth hub in Indonesia after Jakarta, Denpasar in Bali, Makassar in South Sulawesi, Balikpapan in East Kalimantan, and Medan in North Sumatra.          On the occasion, Riau Islands Governor Muhammad Sani noted that the average number of tourists that visited Bintan had reached 800 thousand per year, according to the Jakarta Post.          Last December, Aircraft maintenance firm PT GMF AeroAsia (GMF), a subsidiary of Garuda Indonesia, signed a MoU in Jakarta with Bintan Aviation Investment (BAI) to develop the country's first aerospace industrial park, which will serve as a hub for aviation research and development in Bintan.          GMF President Director Richard Budihadianto stated that the company decided to collaborate with BAI to develop integrated aircraft maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) facilities in Bintan as the island is located in proximity to Singapore, which is home to several representative offices of international airlines and aviation business companies.          Several world-class companies have begun focusing on the tourism sector in Bintan and will help to transform the island into one of Indonesia's major foreign tourist destinations in the future.          According to Bintan Resort International executive Chin Chow Yoon, the number of foreign tourists visiting Bintan in 2011 was recorded at 470,470. It has risen to an average of 800 thousand annually and is expected to reach about two million in the future.          Vice President Jusuf Kalla emphasized that the operators should meet the various required factors such as good infrastructure, hospitality, and security facilities in order to attract more tourists.          Therefore, the vice president stated that the government will support the facilities required to develop Bintan into an international tourist resort to lure foreign tourists.     ***1*** (T.A014/INE/o001) EDITED BY INE (T.A014/A/BESSR/O. Tamindael) 01-06-2015 13:22: