Jakarta, March 24 (Antara) - The tourist resort area of Mandalika in Central Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara (NTB), is one of the 10 tourist destinations in the country that has been accorded priority for development by the government.
The regional government is using Mandalika to serve as a catalyst for the development of tourism in NTB Province, and to realize this, the province needs adequate financing sources.
Hence, the NTB chapter of the Financial Service Authority (OJK) has urged banks to increase their credit provisions for the development of tourism infrastructure in the province and to tap its tourism potential.
Although credits provided by banks to the tourism industry have increased from 2.95 percent in 2015 to 3.25 percent in 2016, the proportion of credits for the tourism sector is still small as compared to the tourism potential of the province, OJK Chief for NTB Yusri had stated in Mataram recently.
The amount of credit extension in the country in 2016 had amounted to Rp31.55 trillion, up by 29.98 percent from that in the previous year. The growth was the highest in the past five years. The portion of credits provided in NTB in 2016 also increased from 44.43 percent in 2015 to 50.91 percent in 2016.
According to Yusri, NTB Province has immense potential in the tourism sector. The awards bestowed on the NTB government, in the form of "The Best Halal Destination" and "The Best Halal Honeymoon Destination" during the World Halal Travel Awards in the United Arab Emirates and announced in Abu Dhabi in October 2015, are a testament to the global recognition given to NTB's tourism, particularly its Sharia tourism.
According to Yusri, NTB is currently developing the Mandalika special economic zone in Central Lombok District and is planning to build the Bandar Kayangan global seaport hub in North Lombok District.
"There are also other strategic projects in NTB that will significantly boost the province's economy," Yusri noted.
The steps to realize this potential should get support from financial service industries, banking in particularly, in an effort to help the local government accelerate the development of NTB's tourism.
"During every meeting, I have always encouraged financial service industries to support and take part in the strategic tourism development projects in NTB," Yusri remarked.
With regard to halal tourism, Public Relations Chief of the NTB Regional Government Yusron Hadi pointed out that several Saudi investors were interested in the Halal tourism sector in the province.
"They are interested in making investment in Halal tourism," Hadi stated after accompanying NTB Governor TGH Muhammad Zainul Majdi to receive Saudi Arabia's chief investor in Indonesia Hassan Saeed Bugis at the governor's audience hall recently.
Bugis' visit to NTB comes under the framework of preparations for Saudi Arabia's investors who will be visiting East Nusa Tenggara in the near future.
"He is coming here to discuss concrete cooperation plans with Saudi investors who want to invest in the Halal tourism sector," Hadi noted.
Hadi said that apart from showing interest in the Halal tourism sector, Saudi investors are also interested in the agricultural sector, notably maize plantations, fisheries, and mining business.
Hadi remarked that the presence of the Saudi chief investor in Indonesia Bugis was welcomed by NTB Governor Zainul Majdi. The governor lauded the steps taken by the Saudi investors who will visit to evaluate NTB's potential in various fields.
"The NTB provincial government welcomes the Saudi investors who will visit NTB," Hadi said.
The provincial government of NTB is optimistic that the Saudi investors' plan to invest in the province's tourism sector would be realized soon, so that tourism development in the province would be accelerated.
In the meantime, Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs Luhut Binsar Panjaitan said he would help promote NTB's tourism, particularly Sumbawa tourism during the annual meeting of the International Monetary Fund-World Bank in Bali, in October.
"I am the organizing committee chairman of the IMF-WB annual meeting in Bali next Oct, and I will make use of the opportunity to promote Sumbawa tourism. I will take some 18.2 thousand rich people attending the Bali meeting to Sumbawa," Luhut stated on Thursday.
The regional government of West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) should use the opportunity to advance its tourism sector, particularly in Sumbawa. After all, countries in the world have been able to obtain a fantastic income of about 1.2 trillion US dollars.
Luhut is convinced that the tourism sector would become the biggest contributor to the total revenues of the country, in line with the government's target to attract 20 million foreign tourist arrivals in 2019 to reach an income of US$20 billion.
Indonesia, which is surrounded by beautiful natural attractions, can utilize the Bali meeting to promote its tourism and use the opportunity increase its revenues like other countries.
"It now depends on us, whether we are ready to develop it or not. This cannot be done just by only one side but by all sides in the regional government," Luhut remarked.
"If our income reaches US$20 billion, this will serve as the highest revenue contributor. So, the tourism sector will contribute to the highest income followed by the energy sector," he pointed out.(A014/INE)EDITED BY INE(T.A014/A/BESSR/A. Abdussalam) 24-03-2017 11:31: |
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