FLORES GEARS UP AS TdF 2016 DRAWS NEAR

by Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, May 10 (Antara) - Flores Island of East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) is gearing up for the Tour de Flores (TdF) 2016 that will see hundreds of world-class cyclists here next week.          By Monday, at least 400 cyclists from 20 countries had arrived on the island where they are expected to compete as they pedal through the 661.5 kilometers cycling stretch. There will also be several local tourism events alongside.          "We have registered 400 cyclists from 20 countries. They will take part in the TdF event that will take place from May 19-23, 2016 on the Flores Island," NTT Tourism and Creative Economy Service's Secretary Weli Rohi Mone said on Monday.          Hundreds of cycling athletes will begin touring activities on Lembata Island on Monday (May 16). The regional government of Lembata District has prepared four tourism destinations that it will try to sell during the TdF 2016 cycling race. The cycling event will continue till May 23, 2016.          "We have four tourism destinations and these are our flagship tourist sites," Longginus Lega of the Lembata District's Tourism Service said in Kupang, the provincial capital of NTT, on Tuesday.

NTT READYING TO HOST "TOUR de FLORES" TO BOOST TOURISM

by Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Jan 29 (Antara) - Indonesia's East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) Province is gearing up to organize an international cycling race to promote sports tourism next May called "Tour de Flores" (TdF) in a bid to boost its tourism sector.          Dubbed as a sports tourism event, the TdF will take place on May 16-26, 2016, and will bring together some 230 world-class cyclists who once participated in international cycling races, such as the Tour de France in Paris and Tour de Langkawi in Malaysia.          Tourism Minister Arief Yahya who launched the TdF 2016 on Thursday evening stated that the activities were aimed at promoting NTT's Flores Island. It is one of the 10 tourism destinations in the country whose development is being accelerated by the government.     "We are calling this a sports tourism event. Its direct impact on the tourism sector is not too huge, but it has an effective media value. So, tourism destinations where the TdF's routes will pass will have brand value," the minister pointed out.