Number of tourist arrivals in Papua increases

Jayapura, Papua, July 30 (Antara) - The number of tourist arrivals in Papua through the provincial city of Jayapura continues to increase every year, according to Mayor of Jayapura Benhur Tommy Mano. "In line with the several tourism events in Papua, the number of tourist arrivals has continued to increase during the past four years," Mano remarked in Jayapura on Thursday. He noted that the number of foreign tourist arrivals in Papua in 2014 constituted 7,268 foreign tourists and 66,137 domestic tourists. Mano further explained that the increase in the number of tourist arrivals was an outcome of the efforts made by the Jayapura Culture and Tourism Office to intensively promote the local tourism attractions. "In order to develop the tourism attractions in Papua to make it a tourist destination in eastern Indonesia, the local authorities continue to work closely with the tourism ministry and other relevant institutions for holding the tourism events," Mano affirmed. He remarked that the local authorities annually organize events such as the Humboldt Bay Festival, Baliem Valley Festival, and Lake Sentani Festival to promote the local culture and tourism attractions.