Irian Jaya to be come tourism hub
Irian Jaya to be come tourism hub
By Imanuddin
TIMIKA, Irian Jaya (JP): Minister of Tourism, Post and
Telecommunications Joop Ave said here Tuesday that Irian Jaya,
with its strategic setting in the Pacific Ocean, will be
developed as a corridor for tourism in the region.
"Irian Jaya, with its great tourism potential, can become the
Pacific hub for tourists in the Pacific region," Joop said at the
opening of the Sheraton Inn Timika hotel.
He said the province of Irian Jaya, which is the connecting
point for countries in the Pacific region, including Papua New
Guinea, Japan, Fiji and Australia, has the potential for tourism.
He also said that the government continues to look at every
opportunity to increase the state's revenues from tourism.
"Last year more than four million foreigners came to
Indonesia, giving US$4.7 billion in revenues to the country," he
said.
Meanwhile, Governor of Irian Jaya Jacob Pattipi said that the
province has abundant tourist attractions but they are still
inappropriately developed.
He gave as examples the Lorentz National Park near here, the
historical caves in the Fak Fak regency, caves from the Japanese
colonial troops after World War II and water falls.
The governor revealed that the number of foreigners visiting
the province is increasing.
"For example, 19,697 foreigners visited Irian Jaya last year,
as compared to 14,891 in 1993," he said.
He said, however, that Irian Jaya still lacks facilities and
the infrastructure for tourism.
"We still have problems in transportation and communications,"
he said.
The governor added that the province also lacks funds, skilled
labor and proper management systems to develop its tourism
facilities.
Local people
Jacob, however, stressed that investors interested in
developing tourism facilities in the province must involve local
people in their projects.
"Less participation of the local people in tourism development
will cause jealousy among low-educated Irianese," he said, adding
that more involvement of local people would help avoid any
possible clashes with investors.
Pattipi said that in accordance with the increasing number of
foreigners visiting the province, more star-rated hotels should
be established.
"There are currently about 80 hotels in Irian Jaya but less
than five of them are rated," he said.
Sheraton Inn Timika, the first four-star hotel established in
the province, is owned by PT ALatieF Freeport Hotel Corporation,
a joint venture of ALatieF Corporation and PT Freeport Indonesia.
Usman Ja'far, the president of ALatieF Freeport Hotel
Corporation, said the joint venture has spent US$42.9 million on
the construction of the hotel, of which $14.5 million was derived
from its equity and the other US$28.4 million from loans.
He said that the hotel currently has 84 rooms and is expected
to increase the number of rooms in the near future, in line with
the increasing number of visitors to the province.
"Currently 50 percent of the rooms are permanently rented by
Freeport, while the remaining 50 percent are offered to the
public," he told The Jakarta Post.
Usman said the hotel is managed by ITT Sheraton from the
United States.