Developments Afoot in East Nusa Tenggara to Boost Tourism
Jakarta. The Ministry of Tourism has been working with the East Nusa Tenggara administration to boost tourism in the area.
Tourism minister Arief Yahya said two tourist destinations in the province, known by its abbreviation NTT, are already quite famous, its capital Ende — where Indonesia's founding father and first president Soekarno was sent into exile by the Dutch — and Labuan Bajo, the gateway to the Komodo National Park where the famous komodo dragons can be found.
The government is working hard to improve access to Ende, including by extending the runway at its H. Hasan Aroeboesman Airport to accommodate Boeing 737s.
"We're also building more than 400 new homestays in 10 tourist villages in Ende," the minister said at the launch of the NTT Provincial Tourism Event 2017 on Friday (12/05).
Beginning in July this year, Labuan Bajo will also have its own Tourism Authority Board (BOP). A new marina is also being built at its harbour and is expected to be fully operational by August 2018.
The city's Komodo Airport will also be expanded into an international airport to be managed by state airport operator Angkasa Pura I.
To improve the quality of staff at its many tourist sites, the Tourism Ministry, the Research, Technology and Higher Education Ministry and the local provincial administration have also signed an agreement to open a Tourism Community Academy in West Manggarai, a district in NTT.
There are plenty of interesting events to look forward to in NTT this year, including the Sandalwood Festival, the Tenun Ikat (woven cloth) Sumba Festival, Pesona Kebangsaan Parade (or the Soekarno Month) and Tour de Timor.
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