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)