"The Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy has designated Lampung as an alternative priority destination for tourists from Jakarta and its surroundings, including West Java's Bandung," he remarked in Bandar Lampung City, Lampung, on Thursday.
Irawan explained that Lampung is chosen as an alternative tourism destination, as the region is home to plenty of tourism spots and is located not too far away from the capital city.
"The distance between Jakarta and Lampung is not too far. Moreover, the costs for enjoying tourism destinations here are much lower. In fact, South Lampung has just recently opened 40 new tourism objects. Lampung is a choice for those seeking to avoid traffic jams during holidays," he remarked.
He further noted that the Maritime Affairs and Investment Coordinating Ministry (Kemenko Marves) had declared Lampung as the third-best province on Sumatra Island in terms of the tourism appeal, after West Sumatra and Riau Islands.
"Kemenko Marves has awarded Lampung as the third-best tourism province on Sumatra Island, only behind two provinces whose tourism spots have long been renowned," he pointed out.
Irawan said he believes that by being an alternative tourism region, Lampung had improved its image and erased the stigma of it being a region prone to crimes.
"Numerous favorite tourism destinations in Lampung have gradually pushed that stigma away. For that reason, we will continue to conduct preparations by involving various stakeholders to improve traffic management, tourists' safety, and accessibility," he noted.
He also remarked that the total number of tourist visits to Lampung throughout 2023 is projected at 14 million, exceeding the target of 5.5 million.
"As per September last year, a total of 10.26 million tourists had visited Lampung. Hence, the cumulative figure for 2023 is predicted to reach 14 million visits," he concluded.
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Translator: Ruth I, Tegar Nurfitra
Editor: Arie Novarina
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