Merpati to fly to Broome

Merpati to fly to Broome

PERTH, Australia (AP): Backpacking tourism in Australia's
remote northwest Kimberley region may boom with the introduction
of the area's first regular international flights from Indonesia
to Broome in November.

One of Indonesia's airlines, Merpati Airlines, will fly two
return flights a week from Jakarta, via Denpasar, in Bali, to the
coastal town of Broome, 1,430 miles (2,300 km) north of Perth,
Western Australian state Tourism Minister Norman Moore announced.

Moore said the flights would open the door to tourism in the
region, with Broome acting as a launch point for tourists.

He said the introduction of the flights tied in well with the
launch in Indonesia of advertisements promoting Western
Australia.

A spokesman for the minister said the flights would target
backpackers from Britain, Germany and Italy traveling in Bali.

"The type of people they are attracting are the more
individual type of tourists who like a bit of adventure and want
to hang around for a couple of weeks rather than just a few
days," the spokesman said.

He also said Merpati flying from Jakarta meant the airline
could attract tourists arriving in Indonesia from all over the
world.

The Indonesian and expatriate market would also be targeted
and there were plans to grab a portion of the European market in
the future.

Between Christmas and New Year, and the Chinese New Year and
Ramadan, Merpati would fly daily.

The spokesman said there were also hopes to establish a flying
school in Broome to train Indonesian pilots.