BINTAN ISLAND READY TO GREET LEBARAN VISITORS

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, June 21 (Antara) - Bintan, a tourist resort island close to Singapore as well as to Malaysia's Johor Bahru, in the Riau Island Province, is now ready to greet foreign tourists and local visitors expected to arrive during the post-fasting Lebaran holidays.          Millions of Muslims across the country are expected to visit or even spend holidays in tourist resort areas after having fasted for one whole month and subsequently celebrated the Ied Fitr or Lebaran festivities.          Lebaran revelers in Riau Islands or those from other provinces in Sumatra can enjoy their Lebaran holidays in Bintan Island. Bintan is one of the tourist resorts being developed by the government to help achieve its target to attract 20 million tourists by 2020.          The rising number of well-known tourist resorts in the country with world-class facilities, such as those in Bintan, will help increase the number of foreign tourist arrivals, thus making it possible for the country to achieve its foreign tourism target.        Additional tourism facilities such as those in Bintan will provide better hospitality. These will not be inferior to those offered in other places.          Tourism Minister Arief Yahya said Bintan, Riau Islands, offers 10 tourist destinations for holidaymakers visiting during the post-fasting Lebaran holidays.          The ten places are Pantai Lagoi Bay beach, Lagoi Love Lock Plaza, Lagoi Mangrove Tourism, Dugong Trikora beacg, Pasir Putih white sandy beach, Kota Kijang Park, Pantai Sakera beach, Museum Bahari maritime museum,  Antam Kijang Relief park and  Bukit Batu religious tourism destination.

BINTAN OFFERS NEW BEACH, SHOPPING DESTINATION

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, June 1 (Antara) -- The tourist resort of Bintan district, Riau Islands, is offering a new, exciting beach and shopping destinations, following the official inauguration of Lagoi Bay and Plaza Lagoi Mall by Vice President Jusuf Kalla on Sunday.         Indonesian Vice President Jusuf Kalla officially opened the sparkling new destinations on Sunday at Bintan Resorts, located along the northern coast of the beautiful Bintan Island.         Speaking at the event, Gianto Gunara of Gallant Venture and executive director of Bintan Resorts said: "The opening of the Lagoi Bay and Plaza Lagoi Mall mega projects is a major milestone for the development of Bintan Resorts and tourism in KEPRI (the Riau Islands province)."     Bintan Resorts is a major international gateway into Indonesia, Gunara added, and is expected to play an increasing role in Indonesia's tourism development to achieve the goal of drawing in 20 million tourists nationwide by 2019.

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.