Hotels, souvenir centers, creative hubs, amphitheaters, plazas, city walks and other public spaces have been repaired. All areas and ports that specifically serve phinisi, yachts and cruises are readyJakarta (ANTARA) - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) announced the addition of the Puncak Waringin Area, Batu Cermin Area, as well as eight roads, to Labuan Bajo, during his working visit to East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) Province. "Thank God, the construction of various infrastructure projects to support tourism in Labuan Bajo has been completed. Labuan Bajo is ready to welcome the arrival of tourists," said President Joko Widodo at Puncak Waringin, Komodo Sub-District, West Manggarai District, on Thursday.
After the Ministry of Public Works and Public Housing (PUPR) and the Ministry of Transportation carried out a large-scale construction project in Labuan Bajo, the local infrastructure has now been completed, while the runway and terminal of Komodo Airport will be developed in 2022.
"Hotels, souvenir centers, creative hubs, amphitheaters, plazas, city walks and other public spaces have been repaired. All areas and ports that specifically serve phinisi, yachts and cruises are ready," Jokowi stressed.
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The project prioritized a major promotional campaign and the preparing Labuan Bajo to host national and international events.
"Labuan Bajo will later host the G20 Summit, and we will also use it for the ASEAN Summit in 2023," Jokowi added.
After the announcement ceremony, President Widodo and First Lady Iriana Joko Widodo walked to Kompas Bajo in the Puncak Waringin area.
Yori Antar, the architect who designed Kompas Bajo, said the location is the best place to enjoy the Labuan Bajo area, because visitors can enjoy sunset views three times better than other places.
"Here, we can see the sunset, the silhouettes of the islands, and the silhouettes of hundreds of phinisi ships," Yori added.
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Kompas Bajo is built in the style of a traditional Manggarai house. The building, with a conical roof, is a hub for the creative economy community in East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), especially in Labuan Bajo, which has a souvenir center, an ikat weaving center and a lounge.
The construction of KSPN (National Tourism Strategic Area) Puncak Waringin will be carried out starting in August 2019 and completed in March 2021, with an area of 0.39 hectares and costing Rp28.86 billion.
Puncak Waringin will focus on a cultural theme of public artworks, which tell the history and culture of Labuan Bajo.
It is located on a hilltop in downtown Labuan Bajo and can serve as a venue for cultural performances, with views of the Flores Sea.
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Meanwhile, the KSPN (National Tourism Strategic Area) Batu Cermin began to be arranged in March 2020 and will be completed in March 2021 with an area of 2.9 hectares with a budget of Rp29.83 billion.
Batu Cermin provides easy access for tourists to Batu Cermin Cave, because it has a trekking route and supports local art culture and research activities with regional support facilities.
During the visit, President Joko Widodo was accompanied by Minister of Public Works and Public Housing Basuki Hadimuljono, Minister of Transportation Budi Karya Sumadi, Cabinet Secretary Pramono Anung, Minister of State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) Erick Thohir, Governor of East Nusa Tenggara Viktor Laiskodat, West Manggarai District Head Edistasius Endi, and architect Yori Antar.
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Translator: Desca L, Azis Kurmala
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
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