TOMINI BAY SUPPORTS TOURISM IN THREE PROVINCES

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Nov 15 (Antara) - The Tomini Bay in the eastern region of Indonesia is the largest gulf in the country, which has the potential to provide benefit for the development of the tourism sector in three neighboring provinces.          The three provinces should therefore work hand in hand to develop the Indonesian eastern region's largest gulf in order to  attract local and international tourists and help improve the local people's economy.          Vice Governor of Gorontalo Province, Idris Rahim, called for cooperation among the three provinces of Gorontalo, North Sulawesi, and Central Sulawesi to develop marine tourism in the Tomini Bay area.          "The three provinces must be in synergy. We must create an integrated tourism calendar, and this should be jointly pursued by the relevant agencies to boost the tourism sector," Rahim stated at a discussion forum of marine tourism development in Tomini Bay by the Ministry of Tourism and the Ministry of National Development Planning/National Development Planning Agency (PPN/Bappenas) on Tuesday (Nov 14).