Jakarta, Sept 14 (Antara) - Indoenesia's Bitung district in North Sulawesi could serve as a hub to develop tourism in the country's eastern region.
Located along the Pacific Rim, Bitung can also serve as an international port hub that could facilitate the development of the Indonesian economic activities and tourism.
Therefore, the regional government of North Sulawesi, particularly Bitung, is now developing its tourism resorts, including Mount Kekewang, and is planning to launch a strait festival, dubbed as the Lembeh Strait Charm Festival 2016.
Tourism Minister Arief Yahya said in Jakarta on Tuesday that he welcomes the plan to launch the festival in an effort to attract more foreign tourists to North Sulawesi, particularly to the Bitung District.
With an intensive campaign launched through this festival, more people would come to know about the Lembeh Strait and it can become a new marine tourism icon for North Sulawesi, according to the minister.
The Lembeh Strait Charm Festival 2016, set to take place from October 6-10, 2016, will feature a series of activities at the opening ceremony such as culinary charm festival, cultural enchantment stage, colorful Bitung 10K run, underwater coral plantation, Pakura decoration carnival, Bitung colorful enchantments and various other folk festivals.
The festival will be launched in Jakarta and is expected to promote the city of Bitung in North Sulawesi as an international port hub and Special Economic Zone (SEZ), positioned as a potential area that has industry and trade, an international port city, a fisheries town, a tourism city and a city focused on nature conservation.
Last year, 1.8 million domestic tourists and 30,000 foreign tourists visited North Sulawesi. As many as 13,019 foreign tourists and 20,133 domestic tourists visited the city of Bitung.
Bitung is very strategically located along the Pacific Rim. As an international port hub and with an SEZ, Bitung can develop its potential as an industrial city, a city for world tourism, and a city for nature conservation," said the minister.
North Sulawesi Governor Olly Dondokambey said Bitung was easier to access since it is only 50 kilometers (about 1 hour drive by car) from the provincial capital of Manado.
Currently, many charter flights land in Manado from China, Macau, and Hong Kong. These are served by airlines Lion Air, Citilink and Sriwijaya.
Meanwhile, Bitung Mayor Jonas Maximiliaan Lomban said Bitung City has a diverse range of tourist attractions, including beaches, resorts, hotels, home-stays and the Mount Two Sudara (literally meaning twin).
"Similarly, it offers the charms of the sea, and has snorkeling facilities at its natural beaches, including the Lembeh Strait which has 91 diving spots that are also home to a variety of rare organisms," he stated.
"The Lembeh Strait Charm Festival 2016 will help earn more foreign exchange in addition to attracting foreign tourists," Erwin Kontu, spokesman of the Bitung City Government in Bitung, observed on Wednesday.
According to Kontu, the Bitung City government continues to promote the FPSL to attract more people to the city of Bitung. Under the direction of Mayor Maxmillaan Jonas Lomban, the Bitung City will accord priority to the development of its tourism potential because this is one activity that exploits resources that are not going to run out.
"It's different from natural resources that cannot be renewed," added Kontu.
The Lembeh Strait Charm Festival 2016 program will include the Shining Maritime Bitung (B3) event which will introduce its Five Enchantment Tourism Pillars to be carried at the Hotel Indonesia Traffic Circle (Bundaran HI) in Jakarta this month.
According to the Deputy Mayor of Bitung, Maurits Mantiri, who is also Chairman of the Working Group of the FPSL, the program will start on October 7, 2016. However, preparations will start on October 1, 2016.
The FPSL 2016 festivities will include competitions, culinary and 'masamper' cultural festivals as well as various other traditional cultural contests.
Mount Kekewang in North Minahasa District of North Sulawesi also offers a family gathering resort and is a major tourist attraction.
"We are here in Tetey Village, North Minahasa District, North Sulawesi province, to provide new facilities to those visiting this area," said Deiby Pangemanan, owner of the Mount Kekewang Restaurant and Recreation Center, in Manado on Wednesday.
In addition to providing a new recreation facility for visitors, Deiby also hopes to create jobs in the district. "Besides local residents, many people from other regions also come here to enjoy Mount Kekewang's atmosphere and recreational facilities," she explained.
It also provides a family gathering area, a swimming pool and a water bike arena, in addition to the restaurant. Animal lovers can visit an interesting and unique mini zoo, she added.
Visitors can see rare birds such as turkeys, guinea fowl, cassowary, hawks, parrots and manguni. Also, there are reptiles such as crocodiles and monitor lizards, she said.
Mount Kekewang will soon provide other tourist attractions such as the largest zoo, the first Sea World in Manado, hostelry, karaoke center, flying fox, rock climbing, fishing pond, futsal square, badminton court, basketball court, billiards, go-karting and remote control cars, she added.
***1***(A014/INE)EDITED BY INE/H-YH(T.A014/A/BESSR/A/Yosep) 14-09-2016 20:01:26 |
Tidak ada komentar:
Posting Komentar