Tourists drawn by pristine beaches of Bintan island

Tourists drawn by pristine beaches of Bintan island

Fadli
Contributor
Batam

"Have you ever visited Bintan island?" If this question was
asked to Indonesians living outside Riau province, few would nod
their heads.

Many perhaps, are unfamiliar with this island which, together
with the nearby Batam island, has become a major tourist
destination after Bali.

Located right in Singapore's backyard, this island has become
an important destination for the city state's residents. At
least, 1.2 million foreign tourists, mostly Singaporeans, visited
Bintan and Batam last year.

The worldwide travel fears resulting from the spread of the
Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) have unfortunately
halted the flow of foreign tourists. But for many tourists, the
island known to be the safest place in the country remains the
best place to visit.

Bintan is part of the "growth triangle" development program
initiated by the Indonesian, Singaporean and Malaysian
governments in the early 1990s which, in addition to Batam and
Bintan also links Singapore and the Malaysian state of Johor.

As part of the program, Batam is being developed as an
industrial center and Bintan as a location for light industry and
tourist resorts.

About 23,000 hectares of the island have been allocated for
tourist resorts. At present, at least seven world-class tourist
resorts have opened their doors to tourists wanting to enjoy the
natural beauty of Bintan in particular the renowned pristine
beaches.

Modern resort hotels include Angsana Resort & Spa, Banyan Tree
Bintan, Bintan Lagoon Resort, Bintan Lodge, Club Med Riau Bintan,
Mana Mana Beach Club and Nirwana Gardens.

Bintan is quite different from other resorts in the country.
Here, tourists can also enjoy the beauty of the dense tropical

"The existing tourist resorts occupy only a part of the
23,000-hectare resort site. It is no wonder that many roads here
are still sandwiched by forests," said Angsana Resort and Spa's
manager Trizno Tarmoezi.

Unlike Bintan, Batam which only had some 7,000 residents
during the early stage of its development program in the early
1970s, has grown into a busy city.

Although Batam has become one of the largest industrial
centers in Indonesia, the island remains an attractive place for
tourists. The tourist facilities on the island are centered
around the Nongsa area where a number of world-class hotels have
been built. Resort hotels such as Turi Beach Resort, Batam View
Resort, Pura Jaya Resort and Tering Bay Resort are quite popular
among travelers who visit the island either for business or
leisure activities.

Besides Nongsa, Marina City has also become a popular tourist
site on the island.

The chairman of the Batam Industrial Development Agency
(BIDA), Ismeth Abdullah, said that the development of the tourist
industry remained a priority for the island.

"We want to develop Batam not only as an investment site but
also an important tourist destination in the country," Ismeth
said, adding that a number of historical sites such as Rempang
island where Japanese prisoners of war were held during World War
II had been restored in a bid to diversify tourist attractions on
the island.

Besides Rempang island, the local government is also
undertaking a Rp 3 billion-restoration program on Galang island,
where a refugee center for Vietnamese and Cambodian refugees was
in existence for more than two decades.

The substantial growth in the island's tourism, however, has
not really satisfied the agency because most foreign tourists
visiting the island are only there for a day trip.

"What we want to do right now is to draw such tourists to stay
for a few days," Ismeth said. "This is important to ensure that
the increase in tourist arrivals will also be able to have a
positive impact on other related businesses such as hotels,
restaurants and taxis," he added.

The other step, according to Ismeth, is to attract foreign
tourists visiting Singapore to also visit Batam or Bintan.

Its strategic location, which is only 45 minutes by ferry from
Singapore, one of Asia's most popular tourist destination, makes
Batam one of Indonesia's most promising tourist sites. But the
local authority is still unable to optimize such an opportunity.

"Compared to Singapore, Batam has more to see. Besides its
beautiful beaches and historical sites, it also offers modern
facilities," said Urmy Sungkar, the chairman of the Association
of Indonesian Hotels and Restaurants (PHRI).

For Singapore, Batam and Bintan have become part of its
tourism campaign. Many local travel agents, for example, have
included the two islands in their travel packages offered to
foreign tourists.