PRESIDENT CALLS ON ACEH TO DEVELOP TOURISM POTENTIALS

Banda Aceh, Aug 7 (ANTARA) - President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono called on the provincial administration of Aceh to seriously develop tourism potentials in the region including its tsunami monuments.

"I wish for the development of the region's cultural, natural, traditional and religious resources as well as tsunami monuments into tourism objects and the opportunity for it has been opened following the presence of air transportation facility," he said when dedicating the new Sultan Iskandar Muda international airport here on Thursday.

The head of state said a lot of volunteers and soldiers from friendly countries had come to help in the humanitarian misions following the tsunami disaster in the region in 2004.

"They have become part of us and some of them may possibly want to return to Aceh for nostalgic purposes and this is a potential," he said.

The President said he recalled being welcomed by volunteers who once came to Aceh for humanitarian missions when visiting Mexico and Cuba some time ago.

He said these had expressed their desire to be able to visit Aceh to see its development.

Aceh governor Irwandi Yusuf meanwhile had expressed wish for the implementation of visa-on-arrival facility in Aceh like in other provinces to ease visits by foreign tourists or investors.

In response to it President Yudhoyono said he would ask minister of transportation and minister of justice and human rights as well as the director general of transmigration to discuss about it.

In connection with it he called on the Aceh administration to prepare the facilities and system for supporting the facility.

Regarding the airport President Yudhoyono said he hoped "it would boost economic development in Aceh and justice for the people."
"Yesterday when I opened the Aceh Arts Festival I had called on the regional leaders to seriously develop Aceh to be more secure, peaceful, just and prosperous," he said.

The new airport has been developed based on a modern Aceh architentural concept. It is 14,144 square meter wide and consists of three floors which is able to accomodate 1.7 million passengers a year.

The airport has a 45x3,000 meter landing strip and an apron of 202x410 meter, which can accomodate Boeing 747-400.*