INDONESIA TO FOCUS ON SPORTS TOURISM DEVELOPMENT

by Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Nov 21 (Antara) - Indonesia is developing its sports tourism through the launch of running, biking and rock climbing events in tourism destinations, as part of its efforts to promote and advance its tourism sector.         According to Youth and Sports Minister Imam Nahrawi, all of the 34 provinces in Indonesia are encouraged to organize sports events in tourism resorts for the development of sports tourism destinations.         The Youth and Sports Ministry will encourage all provinces in the country, apart from the 10 provinces being designed as primary tourist destinations, to organize sports events such as biking in tourism destinations from next year.          "In 2017, we will encourage all provinces to develop sports tourism. The sports tourism in the country has shown good development from year to year," Nahrawi said on Sunday (Nov 20).          For example, the provincial government of Central Java continues to organize the Borobudur Marathon event around areas of the Borobudur Buddhist Temple, which is also a main tourist destination in the country.         The minister appreciated the Central Java provincial government for its success in organizing the Bororbudur Marathon every year. This year, the marathon was attended by an extraordinary number of runners.