"The Biak tourism flagship program is a national priority, so it will receive a special allocation for tourism," Head of the Biak Tourism Office Onny Dangeubun stated at the Coordination Meeting of the Agrarian Reform Task Force in Biak Numfor, Papua, on Tuesday, September 20, 2022.
Dangeubun noted that the 19 priority destinations included Lake Toba, Bukittinggi, Bangka Belitung, Batam-Bintan, Ujung Kulon-Halimun-Pangandaran, Borobudur, Bromo-Tengger-Semeru, and Banyuwangi.
"These also include the tourism areas of Sambas-Singkawang, Derawan-Berau, Toraja-Makassar-Selayar, Bali, Lombok-Mandalika, Labuan Bajo, Wakatobi, Manado-Likupang, Morotai, Raja Ampat, and Biak-Cenderawasih Bay," he stated.
He expects indigenous people to support local tourism development following Biak being set as a priority destination.
He also called on stakeholders to continue to improve coordination and collaboration in supporting the national tourism program.
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To support national tourism, the 3A concept -- attractions, accessibility, and amenities -- must be adopted optimally in order to attract several tourists, Dangeubun pointed out.
"Attractions are what tourists can see and engage in at the destination," he explained.
Accessibility pertains to all types of transportation facilities and infrastructure that enable connectivity to the destination, and amenities meant all supporting facilities that could meet the needs of tourists.
Several Biak tourist destinations include the Japanese Cave of Binsari, wonderland, waterfalls, Catalina Diving Tours, beach tours, traditional arts and culture tours and relics of World War II tourist attractions.
The ministry had determined 19 priority destinations by taking into account the position of these destinations in the national tourism sector, the location of six UNESCO Geoparks, and several mandates of laws and regulations. Moreover, the total national special allocation budget for tourism in 2023 reached Rp583.3 billion.
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Translator: Muhsidin, Mecca Yumna
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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