Zita Anjani: Jember poised to become a tourism magnet in eastern Java

Presidential Special Envoy for Tourism Zita Anjani has stated that Jember Regency possesses strong potential to develop into a tourism magnet in the eastern region of Java Island. Speaking after attending a Tourism Discussion Forum in Jember on Saturday evening, she noted Jember’s role as a pioneer in organising carnivals in Indonesia and its wealth of complete tourist destinations. The discussion, themed ‘Collaboration Towards Quality, Sustainable, and World-Class Tourism in Jember Regency’, was held with tourism activists, Tourism Ambassadors, Puteri Indonesia, Gus Ning Jember, youth leaders, and MSME players at Pendapa CSL Gebang. ‘Jember is the pioneer of carnivals in Indonesia. Many regencies and cities that now hold carnivals were inspired by Jember, so we thank Jember and the Jember Fashion Carnaval Foundation for being the mecca of carnivals in Indonesia,’ she said. During her visit to Jember, Zita also attended a series of Jember Fashion Carnaval (JFC) events, marking her second visit after attending the JFC event the previous year. She stated that JFC holds an important position in the development of the carnival industry in Indonesia, inspiring many other regions to hold similar events. Zita also held discussions with Gus Ning Jember regarding the potential development of the region’s tourism sector. From the dialogue, she assessed that Jember has diverse tourist attractions, ranging from mountainous areas, waterfalls, and beaches to tourism villages and rice field landscapes. ‘Jember is a complete tourism package. There is the foot of Mount Raung, waterfalls, tourism villages, beaches, and expanses of rice fields. Its tourism potential is enormous,’ she said. Nevertheless, Zita noted that strengthening air transport connectivity remains a challenge to increasing tourist visits. ‘I hope the frequency of flights to Jember can be increased, including opening more flights connecting Jember with other tourist destinations such as Bali,’ she said. According to her, improved flight access will have a direct impact on the growth of the tourism sector in Jember Regency. Meanwhile, regarding land infrastructure, Zita assessed that road conditions to Jember are adequate and access from various routes is relatively good, supported by natural panoramas that add value for tourists. Regarding central government support, Zita affirmed her readiness to promote the organisation of tourism agendas in Jember, especially international-scale events like the Jember Fashion Carnaval. She said tourism development requires collaboration between the central government, regional government, event organisers, and arts and creative industry players to deliver a broader economic impact.