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INDONESIA’S Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy, supports the development of infrastructure in the special economic zone (SEZ) Tanjung Lesung, Banten because it will boost the performance of the tourism sector and the creative economy as a whole.
According to the Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy, Sandiaga Uno (7/4), said the Tanjung Lesung SEZ is the first of 10 SEZ Tourism in Indonesia which has been inaugurated by President Jokowi and began operating since February 2015. President Jokowi directly targets to accelerate accessibility from Jakarta to Tanjung Lesung by constructing a new 84 km long Serang-Panimbang toll road.
“Section I is planned to operate in mid-2021 with a toll road of 26 km and it is projected that in 2022 the toll road will be opened until Panimbang. So from Jakarta to Tanjung Lesung it is estimated that it will only take 2 hours to travel,” he said.
Sandiaga explained that feeling tired when he saw the beautiful sea view in Tanjung Lesung. Therefore, I appreciate and support PT. Banten West Java in the development of the Serang-Panimbang toll road. This is in accordance with the concept of a new tourism trend, namely localize, because tourists will prefer a destination that is not too far from where they live. And Banten is one of the tourist destinations close to the Jabodetabek area.
“Apart from the Serang-Panimbang toll road, other supporting roads are also needed, so that tourist areas such as Anyer, Baduy, and Cikeusik Village can be integrated. So it is not only point to point, but also a more holistic approach, because infrastructure must be equitable for all levels of society,” he stated.
The Tanjung Lesung SEZ itself has an area of 1,500 hectares with various tourism potentials, including the natural beauty of the coast, the diversity of flora and fauna, and exotic cultural wealth. In addition, the tourist attractions offered are jetski, banana or donut boat, stand up paddle board, snorkeling, diving, fishing, cycling, ATV, golf, and culinary tours.
It is projected that the Tanjung Lesung SEZ will be able to attract an investment of IDR92.4 trillion and can absorb a workforce of 85,000 people by 2025.
“The Tanjung Lesung SEZ is one of the first Tourism SEZs to combine all elements of the pillars that we want to build. First, the spirit of optimism that tourism and the creative economy will rise, by presenting various interesting events. Second, open opportunities through innovation, adaptation, and collaboration by encouraging Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) to enter the digital ecosystem. The three tourist villages are involved in the development of this area. And the last is part of special interest tourism presented in this region, such as sport tourism and eco-tourism,” he said.
The development and strengthening of human resource (HR) capacity in the tourism and creative economy sectors must also be a priority target in the economic recovery efforts which are currently being promoted by the government. The HR scaling up program includes providing training, workshops, to labor-intensive programs for local communities in the Tanjung Lesung area.
“I hope that all of us, both the government, the private sector, and the community can work together to help accelerate the recovery of the tourism sector and together create quality and sustainable tourism, especially in the Tanjung Lesung SEZ,” Sandiaga added.
On same occasion, the President Director of PT. Banten West Java, Poernomo Siswoprasetijo, hopes that the Tanjung Lesung area can become a tourism locomotive in Banten Province. So tourist attractions close to SEZs such as Mount Krakatau, Ujung Kulon, Banten Lama, and Baduy also benefit.
“There are already several investors who are committed to the development of the Tanjung Lesung SEZ, such as Faunaland from the Mercure Group, Golf and there is also some support from the government for MSME players, which we hope can also be part of tourism development in the Tanjung Lesung area,” concluded Poernomo. [traveltext.id]
