NTB To Attract 1 Million Tourists

Jakarta, Sept 7 (ANTARA) - The West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) Tourism Promotion Body is set to attract one million local and foreign tourists to that region this year. "Now access to Lombok and Sumbawa is easier with the operation of the new Lombok International Airport," chairman of the regional tourism promotion body Awanadhi Aswinabawa said here on Friday. Currently airlines serve more direct flights to Lombok with the operation of the new airport, Awanadhi said speaking at a gathering with the mass media and corporations on Visit Lombok Sumbawa 2012. He said from Jakarta there are seven flights to Lombok including one with transit in Surabaya everyday, he added. "Starting October Air Asia will serve direct flights between Kuala Lumpur and Lombok three times a week," he said. He hopes Air Asia would carry not only tourists from Malaysia to NTB but also other foreign visitors as Kuala Lumpur is a hub for other airlines. Meanwhile, Silk Air of Singapore plans to increase frequency of flights between Singapore and Lombok from three times to five times a week. Garuda, City Link, and Mandala also plan to increase frequency of domestic flights to and from Lombok. "With easier accesses we are optimistic the target of one million visitors would be achieved," Awanadhi said. In the first seven months of this year the number of visitors to NTB already reached 600,000 mostly domestic tourists. "Foreign tourists made up around 28 percent," he added. Tourist are still dominated by mountain , marine and MICE (meeting, incentives, conferencing, and exhibitions) and culture visitors. "In the past 5 years MICE contributed no less than 45 percent to NTB`s earning from the tourism sector," Awanadhi said. The tourism sector has become the second largest contributor to the NTB`s regional income, therefore, the regional administration is expected to build more public facilities and infrastructure to support development of the tourist sector in the region, he said. The NTB`s Tourism Promotion Body gives priority to development of 15 tourist destinations in Lombok and Sumbawa including Senggigi in Sumbawa, mount Rinjani in East Lombok and small islands such as Gili Tarawangan.