Jakarta, March 12 (Antara) - Last Wednesday's total solar eclipse (TSE) in 12 Indonesian provinces was a blessing and fortune for the country's tourism as it promoted local tourism and left foreign tourists with deep memories to revisit the country.
After all, the local governments in big cities which fell within the footprint of the TSE organized various attractions and festivals, introducing local arts and cultures, foods, tourist sites and the beauty of Indonesian nature.
All these things will become items of promotion for Indonesian tourism as the domestic and foreign eclipse trackers will share their experience through the social media in their respective countries.
"I am confident that the number of foreign tourist arrivals in Sigi will increase drastically contributing more foreign exchange and improving the economy of local people around the tourism sites," Sigi District Head Moh. Irwan Lapata said Thursday.
Sigit District was a meeting point for eclipse enthusiasts in Palu, Central Sulawesi, which was one of the 12 provinces in the path of the natural phenomenon.
Thousands of foreign tourists visited Central Sulawesi during the TSE, he said. Most of them went to Sigi District. In this district, the local government cooperates with tourism operators in developing observation centers of the TSE. Among others, it included Ngatabaru village, Palu City, Wayu and Kauli villages.
The TSE moment had a big impact on the local people's economy, particularly in the transportation sector, accommodation and telecommunication. Local residents around the observation points capitalized on the natural phenomenon by selling various necessities such as food, drink and other creative economy products.
"Many houses of local residents were rented by foreign tourists who wanted to spend the night. Foreign tourists also hired local residents' vehicles. Visitors hired the vehicles to meet their need for transportation means," Sigi District Head Irwan Lapata said.
Some three thousand people tracking the eclipse reached there, according to Assistant on Economic Affairs to the Secretary of the Regional Government of Central Sulawesi, Bunga Elim Somba.
Other places being thronged by the enthusiasts were the villages of North Pakuli, Palu city, and Klora, Bunga said. The TSE will occur in Palu again after 300 years.
Therefore, the number of foreign tourists visiting Sigi District, Central Sulawesi, was expected to increase dramatically after the total solar eclipse, the Sigi district head said.
Big cities which fell within the footprint of the total solar eclipse in Indonesia included Muko-Muko (Bengkulu), Palembang (South Sumatra), Tanjung Pandan (Bangka Belitung), and Palangkaraya (Central Kalimantan), in addition to Balikpapan (East Kalimtan), Palu (Central Sulawesi) and Ternate (North Maluku).
Indonesia succeeded in attracting a large number of domestic and foreign tourists to areas that witnessed the total solar eclipse on Wednesday, March 9, Tourism Minister Arief Yahya said.
"The number of tourists visiting (Bangka) Belitung, for example, increased by 10 thousand to 50 thousand, thanks to the TSE. It was because of the tourism promotion efforts carried out effectively," Minister Arief noted on the sidelines of his tourism and TSE-related visit to Belitung.
The TSE, is not a new event in Indonesia because a total solar eclipse also took place in 1983, though people were not allowed by the government to watch it then, he said. Earlier, the eclipse was not seen as something that could be sold as a tourism product.
"We do say that such an event occurred in Indonesia but we were not capitalizing on it and not promoting it as a potential tourism package," the minister said.
But, after the government promoted the TSE, it produced satisfactory results and helped increase domestic and foreign tourists' visits. One of the indications of such a success was that the TSE became a popular topic in the social media at home and abroad, he continued.
Belitung (of Bangka Belitung Province) and Palu (Central Sulawesi) have become popular in the cyber world. They were the hot topic of conversation in the cyber world due to the total solar eclipse.
He was too amazed by the greatness of God when he was watching the total solar eclipse, Arief said. He claimed that he was moved and had an eerie feeling to realize the sheer loftiness of God.
In Sumatra Province, the 'Ampera' bridge over the Musi River of Palembang city served as a key point to watch the total solar eclipse (TSE).
"We organized various interesting events. There were eclipse education sessions for domestic and foreign tourists visiting Palembang," the acting head of the local Tourism and Culture Service of South Sumatra, Irene Camelyn Sinaga, said.
A large number of residents of Palembang, South Sumatra, congregated at the Ampera Bridge to watch the TSE, according to Irene Camelyn Sinaga.
Thousands of foreign and domestic tourists had visited the province, and not only witnessed the total solar eclipse (TSE), but also enjoyed shopping and explored culinary delights, South Sumatra Governor Alex Noerdin remarked in Palembang Thursday.
"They came, not only to watch the rare and beautiful natural phenomenon, but also to shop for typical clothing and to savor the culinary delicacies of South Sumatra," Governor Alex remarked.
Several local items of clothing and culinary delicacies, such as "pempek" and "tekwan" that are famous across the Indonesian archipelago were all sold out during the TSE, the governor explained.
The TSE in Palembang was able to improve the economy of the local community as it attracted tens of thousands of tourists to the province, the governor noted.
Indonesian President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) watched the solar eclipse at the Bogor Palace, West Java. He uploaded a picture of himself observing the solar eclipse. The president wore a sarong, a long-sleeved white shirt, and sported special glasses while witnessing the extraordinary natural phenomenon.
"Witnessing a solar eclipse at Bogor Palace. This is a sign of the greatness of God," President Jokowi tweeted on his Twitter account after watching the event.
Meanwhile, Vice President M. Jusuf Kalla observed the total solar eclipse along with the local people in Kotapulu, Sigi District, Central Sulawesi.
"For the younger generation, a natural phenomenon of this kind is routine and could produce new theories," Kalla stated.
He was highly impressed after witnessing the TSE, which lasted for two minutes and two seconds, starting at 8:37 a.m. Central Indonesian Standard Time, Kalla said.
The 12 Indonesian provinces which fell under the path of the solar eclipse were Bengkulu, West Sumatra, South Sumatra, and Jambi, in addition to Bangka Belitung, West Kalimantan, Central Kalimantan, and South Kalimantan. East Kalimantan, West Sulawesi, Central Sulawesi and North Maluku were the other provinces that were in the path of the eclipse. ***3***(T.A014/INE/O001)(T.A014/A/BESSR/O. Tamindael) 12-03-2016 12:14:3 |
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