Development of most tourist estates fails

Development of most tourist estates fails

JAKARTA (JP): The government has failed to get private
companies to invest in most of the areas earmarked for
development as tourist estates due to inadequate support
facilities.

The president of the state-owned tourism development company
PT Bali Tourism Development Corporation (BTDC), Nadirsjah Zein,
told reporters yesterday that the government actually planned to
develop nine areas as tourist estates or centers within the Fifth
Five Year Development Plan (Repelita V) period, which ended in
March.

But only two of the areas -- Nusa Dua in Bali and Tasik Ria in
Manado, North Sulawesi -- have thus far been successfully
developed as tourist estates, he explained.

The seven other planned estates are located in Nias (North
Sumatra), Gunuang Padang Ale Malih (West Sumatra), Merak
Belantung (Lampung), Belitung (South Sumatra), Lombok (West Nusa
Tenggara), Tanjung Bunga in Ujungpandang (South Sulawesi) and
Marauw in Biak (Irian Jaya).

"The main problem hampering the development of the tourist
centers is the absence of or the poor conditions of airports,"
Nadirsjah said.

The run-down airport in Belitung, for example, has caused
investors to be wary of investing in hotels there because very
few tourists visit the island, he said.

He said the recent improvement of the Binaka airport on Nias
island to accommodate international flights is expected to boost
the tourism industry there.

The Binaka airport has been upgraded to support the
development the Indonesia-Malaysia-Thailand Economic Growth
Triangle.

Direct flights

He said direct international flights have so far proved to be
the only way to attract tourists. The Manila-Manado and
Singapore-Manado services, for example, have helped increase the
number of foreign tourists visiting North Sulawesi and nearby
areas in the eastern part of the country.

Likewise, the development of Bali as a tourist center has also
been supported by its international airport.

Nadirsjah said the government plans to develop 17 other
places, including those in Pangandaran (West Java) and Baturaden
(Central Java), as tourist estates following the success of the
Nusa Dua tourist resort.

The concept of Nusa Dua was born out of the Bali Master Plan
compiled in 1971 aimed at reinvigorating the country's economy.
The government then assigned BTDC to develop and manage the
resort.

Increase

"There are now eight five-star hotels in the 100-hectare Nusa
Dua tourist estate offering 3,800 rooms," Nadirsjah said, adding
that the number of hotel rooms in Nusa Dua will increase to 5,000
by the year 2000.

BTDC has been involved in the Manado-Minahasa Tourism
Development Corporation (PT MTDC), which is now developing a 100-
hectare tourist estate in North Sulawesi.

The North Sulawesi estate currently has only one star-rated
hotel but four luxurious hotels will be built there in the near
future.

Together with local administrations and private companies,
BTDC is also involved in PT Biak-Marauw Tourism Development
Corporation's development of a 400-hectare tourist center in
Irian Jaya, with PT Krakatau-Lampung Tourism Development
Corporation for a 300-hectare center in southern Sumatra, with PT
Baturaden Tourism Development Corporation for a 1,002-hectare
estate in Central Java and with PT Pangandaran Tourism
Development Corporation for a 130-hectare estate in West Java.
(icn)