JAKARTA, Feb. 22 (Xinhua) -- Indonesia's award-winning Lombok island has commenced projects to facilitate international automotive events, with an aim of attracting more foreign visitors.
The project is carried out by Lombok airport administration agency in unused airstrip area, designed with international standards to host motor and grass track sport tourism competitions or Lombok International Airport Motocross & Grasstrack Circuit (LIA MGC).
Praising the project, Indonesian Tourism Minister Arief Yahya said that through the circuit, Lombok would welcome more visitors taking part in international automotive events and sport tourism competition on the island.
"Sport tourism gives great potential for repeated visitors as 60 percent of those taking part in sport tourisms would come again as tourists," the minister said on Wednesday.
Lombok airport administrator I Ngurah Ardita said the project was a response to the growing keenness of national and international auto sports enthusiasts to gather in Lombok and explore the island.
"Extreme sport and adventure activities using motorbikes now on the rise in Indonesia with several international and national-scaled events having been held in the country," Ardita said in a statement.
The project with 10-meter-wide and 1,200-meter-long tracks is expected to be completed in 2018, he said, adding that more facilities would be built for off-road activities and gathering of automotive organizations.
Lombok is part of Indonesia's 10 new tourist destinations, which are expected to contribute significant visitor arrivals into the country. With tourism set as the nation's core business, Indonesia is striving to attract 20 million foreign visitors by 2019.
The island, located in eastern part of Indonesia's prominent resort island of Bali, earned prestigious halal tour awards in 2015 and 2016.
