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BECOME one of the five super priority destinations, Labuan Bajo in East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) will improve its facilities and infrastructure to support tourism. The plan is that by 2020 there will be around Rp1.7 trillion in funds that will flow into this region.
According to the Head of the Tourism and Culture Office of West Manggarai Regency, Agustinus Rinus said, these funds will be prioritized to extend the Komodo Airport so that later it can become an international airport so that later Labuan Bajo could become a direct entrance for foreign tourists.
“So planes from Singapore and Australia can go down directly here. Besides the airport, the port will also be repaired, both commercial and tourist ports. Not only that, road access will continue to be connected from the north to the south,” he said.
Agustinus Rinus emphasized that in addition to infrastructure weaknesses, NTT Tourism & Culture Office would also improve the quality of Human Resources (HR). With great tourism potential, local people should enjoy it so that they do not need to recruit foreign workers or from other regions.
“At present the West Manggarai Regency Government has collaborated with the polytechnic of Udayana University in Bali to train prospective workers in this region. Not only that, it will also increase the presence of the village of West Manggarai dj to support tourist destinations in Labuan Bajo, especially the Komodo National Park. That way, the economy in the West Manggarai region can be lifted because of stretching tourism in this region, “he said.
He added, even so, the central government to clarify the definition of super priority tourism. According to him, based on orders from the Governor of NTT, Labuan Bajo will be determined as a super premium tourism destination.
“As a result, to enter various tourist destinations in Labuan Bajo such as Komodo Island, Batu Cermin Cave, and Cunca Wulang Waterfall, and Rangko Cave will be charged a membership fee of US $ 1000 or Rp14 million with a validity period of one year,” he urged.
Even so, this plan has not been implemented because it is still awaiting the decision of the central government and is likely to take effect next year.
Previously, President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) in his remarks said, Labuan Bajo would become a super premium destination by implementing a quota system for tourists coming to this region.
Meanwhile, in 2019 the government is targeting 500,000 foreign tourists to come to Labuan Bajo, even in the year 2025 is targeted to reach 1 million foreign tourists visiting. However, the realization of this target requires hard work and cooperation between the central and regional governments. Because, in 2018, tourists coming to West Manggarai and Komodo Island in particular only 163,807 visitors, both foreign tourists and domestic tourists.
“Moreover, West Manggarai Regency’s tourism promotion fund is only Rp10 billion per year,” Agustinus added. [antaranews/photo special]
