Jakarta, Nov 2 (Antara) - Belitung Island is offering discounted year-end trips to Singaporean citizens to boost the number of foreign tourist arrivals on the island that has merely received some 15-20 thousand foreign visitors annually.
Belitung Island, which is part of the Bangka Belitung Province, will offer a round-trip ticket costing 125 Singaporean dollars and $101 for a one-way trip.
"A ticket price of $125 for a round trip will be offered during Dec 15-22 and at $101 for a one-way trip, while a round-trip ticket during the period between Dec 24 and Jan 5 will be sold at $150 and a one-way ticket will cost $111," Commercial Director of NAM Air Sriwijaya Air Group Franky Gan noted in Singapore on Wednesday.
Gan made the remarks during a "Sales Mission" held in Singapore to promote Belitung's tour packages. The tour packages are offered for chartered flights operating on the Singapore-Tanjung Pandan, Belitung, route.
The tourism promotion event was attended by 30 players from the tourism industry in Singapore in addition to Minister Counselor for Economic Affairs of the Indonesian Embassy in Singapore Sigit S. Widiyanto, Belitung District Head Sahani Saleh, East Belitung Vice District Head Burhanudin, Expert Staff of the Minister of Air Transportation Affairs Robert Daniel W, and Commercial Director of NAM Air Sriwijaya Air Group Franky Gan.
The government, through the Ministry of Tourism, expressed hope that promoting tourism in Belitung would increase foreign tourist arrivals in the region to 500 thousand by 2019.
The Ministry of Tourism's member of the Tourism Development Acceleration Team for Belitung and Central Java region Larasati Sedyaningsih stated that such a target was ideal based on the current scenario wherein only 15-20 thousand tourists annually visited this region directly.
Belitung Island has potentially become one of the most favorite destinations for foreign tourists, along with nine other locations that have been promoted by the government as the "New Bali."
With such potential, it is reasonable for the government to make Belitung Island a part of the UNESCO Global Geo Park in November 2018.
"I think Belitung possesses excellence, with its extraordinary natural and cultural attractions, which are currently being developed," Sedyaningsih noted.
According to Judi Rifajantoro, a special staff on Tourism Infrastructure at the Ministry of Tourism, the tourism potential of the island is being promoted through the sales mission.
"This activity is part of the efforts to develop Belitung as one of the '10 New Bali' tourism priority destinations in Indonesia," Rifajantoro stated in Singapore on Wednesday.
Hence, the second direct flight between Singapore and Tanjung Pandan in Belitung will be started after the launch of the earlier one on the Silangit route between Singapore and the Silangit International Airport.
Rifajantoro admitted that 50 percent of the investment to operate the charter flights will come from the Belitung district government and the rest will be supported by related parties, ranging from airlines offering discount tickets to hotels, among others.
"The reason for selecting Singapore was that if found successful, this market could serve as a gateway for tourists from other countries to enter Indonesia. Moreover, Balitung, with its natural beach tourism, is an attractive destination for these citizens," he remarked.
Belitung Island is surrounded by several smaller islands adorned with mostly granite stones. Visitors can enjoy the white sands, clear blue skies, clear waters, beautiful stones, and coral reef. Moreover, it is clean and quiet even in the holiday seasons.
Rifajantoro added that chartered flights by the national private airline Sriwijaya Air from the H. A. S. Hanandjoeddin International Airport in Belitung to Singapore's Changi International Airport will operate thrice a week from December 15 to January 5, 2018.
"This is to test the market. If it turns out that the demand is increasing, then more charter flights will be added and may become part of the schedule, thereby making it a challenge for related parties," Rifajantoro explained.
According to Rifajantoro, foreign tourists enter Indonesia through three main entry gates: 40 percent through Bali, 30 percent from Jakarta, and 20 percent through Batam-Bintan. Only 10 percent of the foreign tourists enter Indonesia through other entry gates or cities.
"Hence, if the target of 20 million foreign tourists is to be achieved by 2019, a new tourist destination should be readied quickly, as the capacity of the three entry gates is already limited," he revealed.
During the event, Belitung District Head Saleh revealed that his region was ready to welcome foreign tourists via Singapore.
Saleh remarked that the island, with its developed infrastructure facilities, such as 35 megawatts of electricity, clean water supply, internet connectivity, five-star hotels, and good roads, was ready to welcome foreign tourists.
"We will develop the infrastructure and other facilities," Saleh noted.
Saleh also acknowledged that the district government had invested Rp1.1 billion for operating charter flights, through local government-owned companies, for boosting economic growth in the region.***1***(A014/INE)EDITED BY INE
(T.A014/A/BESSR/A. Abdussalam) 02-11-2017 21:30: |
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