Promoting Biak Numfor Tourism Through BMW Festival

JAKARTA, April 20 (Antara) - The Biak Munara Wampasi (BMW) cultural festival, to be held on July 1-4, 2017, is part of the Biak Numfor district government's efforts to develop the district in Papua into a leading international tourist destination. The BMW Festival is an annual event to expand the tourism potential and introduce the visitors to delightful natural and cultural features of the scenic islands in the district of Biak Numfor. The cultural festival is expected to increase foreign tourist arrivals and will offer them an opportunity to recognize the potential of the district's natural and cultural beauty. With the implementation of the annual BMW Festival, the Biak Numfor District can be transformed into a leading international tourist destination in the province of Papua. "The international marathon event that will be part of the BMW Festival 2017 is expected to attract as many foreign tourists as possible," Biak Numfor District Head Thomas Ondy stated in Biak on Wednesday. Ondy made the statement in connection with the efforts to make Biak a superior service city of regional tourism and the venue of Papua and West Papua regional sporting event. He admitted that the annual BMW Festival is part of the cultural tourism events of the people of Biak City and the Biak Numfor District. Hence, he expressed hope that all elements of society in Biak Numfor would work together with the district government to make the cultural tourism event a grand success. Earlier, local Tourism Office Chief Ony Dangeubun had noted that various cultural events will be organized to enliven the BMW Festival this year. Every year, Biak Numfor District holds the BMW cultural festival to promote a variety of native indigenous cultural attractions and to bring foreign tourists to the beautiful islands, especially Padaido in the district. The festival is expected to help boost Padaido Island's tourism and the local economy and will especially benefit traders and small and micro businesses. The local authorities continue to develop marine tourism in the Padaido and Aimando islands by improving various supporting facilities and infrastructure, such as homestays, roads, seaport, and streetlights, according to Usior. The local government has made Padaido and Aimando Marine Park the center of marine tourism, with activities featuring underwater diving around the islands, Usior remarked. The cluster of Saerrei Bay in Padaido Island is home to various forms of underwater natural beauty, CEO of WWF Indonesia Benja Mambai admitted separately. "Due to its underwater beauty, Padaido Island is eligible to be developed into a tourist attraction in the district of Biak Numfor," Dangeubun emphasized. Apart from its tourism potential, the Padaido Island region has become a center of research and surveys, nature conservation education, and cultural development of Biak Numfor. Furthermore, the Biak Numfor Culture and Tourism Office is determined to develop marine tourism in the Padaido Island to make the district an international tourist destination in eastern Indonesia. Comprising 30 small islands, Padaido is a small archipelago, with its unique attractions, that can be developed to make it a leading tourist destination in West Papua. The cluster of Padaido Islands has alluring beaches and offers varied habitats, such as atolls, reef edges, and underwater caves. Hence, the islands need to be developed to boost the local economy by involving the local community, investors, and environmental observers. The word "Padaido" is derived from the local language, which means "inexpressible beauty," and in the past, it was named Schouter after William Schouter, a Dutch sailor who first discovered the islands in 1602. It just takes an hour from the Bosnik Port to reach Padaido aboard a motor boat, and about three to four hours using a canoe paddle to the islands, which offer an array of attractions, underwater caves, and tunnels. The beaches on these islands have soft-white sand and clear waters allowing the sunlight to reach the seabed, thereby enabling the visitors to enjoy the marine life from the mainland. Besides having the greatest biodiversity of coral ecosystems in the world, other attractions that the divers should not miss are challenging underwater caves to be explored, the wrecks of sunken ships, aircraft, and tanks. Padaido is one of the places blessed with the greatest biodiversity of coral ecosystems in the world, according to a study conducted by the Biodiversity Conservation Network. The waters of Padaido have 95 coral species and 155 species of fish, such as various types of reef sharks and octopuses and numerous other maritime riches. The Padaido Island has a reef area spanning about 9,252 acres and 328.2 acres of deep reefs. Some international divers believe that the Padaido beach area has the most spectacular coral reefs in the world, and hence, this marine park is ideal for diving and snorkeling. The Biak Numfor district government in Papua aims to promote regional development and empower the local communities who live in primitive conditions.