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.