By Abu Hanifah
JAKARTA, April 3 (Xinhua) -- Indonesia has carried out massive connectivity infrastructure projects in 10 new destinations designated to attract foreign visitors so as to meet with government targets in tourism sector which has been set as the nation's new core industry.
Those projects were intended to support the works of Tourism ministry in assuring the access, comfort and safety for visitors visiting the new destinations developed across the country, an official at transportation ministry said.
"The projects would be accelerated, become part of our pilot projects to support tourism ministry, to involve state-run firms, regional government's firms and private sector as well," a special staff at economy and transportation investment section at the transportation ministry Wihana Kirana Karya said recently.
All of the connectivity projects would be built with world-class standards, highly expected to eventually maximizing economic value in the respective areas that host the new destinations, he added.
"All facilities and features in those projects would world-class ones, including the terminals, toilets, runways, airports, quarantine, immigration and information desks," Wihana said in a national tourism coordination meeting here.
He added that parts of those projects have been underway at present, among others were railway tracks and bridges to support Lake Toba destination in North Sumatra province, sea transport system serving in the capital city's new destination of Pulau Seribu.
For Tanjung Kelayang destination located in Bangka Belitung province, the transportation ministry also carries out projects to improve features in provincial airport that includes terminal, runway works and flight safety instruments upgrade.
"In Southeast Sulawesi province's Wakatobi destination, projects to expand the capacities of several airstrips serving flights to small islands around the popular diving destination have also been carried out," he said.
Transportation ministry has also set plans to further enhance road facilities, build new train transportation service linking tour sites in neighboring provinces of Yogyakarta and Central Java which has ultimate destination of world's largest Buddhist temple of Borobudur.
Besides that, the ministry also has set dredging project plan in Central Java capital's harbor of Tanjung Mas to facilitate cruise ships.
Airport capacity expansions would also be conducted in destinations of Bromo Tengger in East Java, Labuan Bajo in East Nusa Tenggara, Mandalika in West Nusa Tenggara and Morotai in North Maluku provinces.
Indonesia now has upgraded 27 airports in several regions across the country to serve international flights, including 5 ones in Jakarta, Surabaya, Bali, Makassar and Medan designated to provide world-class services.
According to the data released by the transportation ministry, Indonesia now provides 25 international flight routes directly connecting 26 Indonesian cities with 12 overseas countries, served by 43 international airlines.
Through all of efforts constituting all elements in the country, wrapped in Indonesia Incorporated drive to support tourism sector, Southeast Asia's largest economy aims to welcome 20 million foreign visitors and earnings of more than 24 billion U.S. Dollars by 2019.
