Postingan
Newmont to Foot the Biggest Bill
RICH in potential for development of its agriculture, livestock and mining industries, West Sumbawa Regency is also recognised for the extraordinary prospects of its fledgling tourism sector.
While West Sumbawa lags well behind the popular Senggigi tourism destination on Lombok island, some of the regency’s spectacular and unspoiled coastal locations are drawing domestic and international visitors.
Prime beach destinations include Jelenga, in the Jereweh district, Maluk and Sekongkang.
Interestingly, West Sumbawa’s peak tourist flow occurs in December when weather conditions are less favourable and sometimes include monsoon winds.
“Most tourists visiting West Sumbawa today come to surf,” said the owner of Sekongkang’s Hotel Tropical, Sri Wahyuni White, known as Yuni. “They come at the end of the year because that is when they think we provide the big waves that attract them.”
Yuni, who is the mother of Jakarta television celebrity Andrew White, says the Sekongkang coast is different. Facing the Indian Ocean, Sekongkang gets big rolling waves almost all year round, regardless of season.
“Sekongkang beach is known among surfers as Yoyo’s because the waves roll in and out as consistently as a yoyo on a string,” she said.
“Unfortunately, the abundant tourism potential of West Sumbawa is not being realised because of inadequate infrastructure which is a deterrent to visitors and keeps numbers low.”
Recognising the potential of tourism development in West Sumbawa, regent Zulkifli Muhadli now says a priority project for tourism growth this year is development of Sekongkang airport about 27 kilometres from the regency capital, Taliwang.
The project involves redevelopment of the privately owned Tropical air strip, owned by Hotel Tropical, which ceased operations in 1989.
“The 850-metre runway will be extended to 1500 metres to accommodate ATR aircraft with a capacity of 48 seats,” said Zulkifli.
Currently West Sumbawa can be accessed only via sea from Lombok, where most tourists go, by ferry from East Lombok across the Selat Strait.
“Access is difficult and the long road and ferry trip makes tourists reluctant to come to West Sumbawa, even if they like us as a destination,” said Zulkifli.
“The only way to develop tourism is to achieve fast and easy access by developing Sekongkang airport.”
Remedial work and upgrading of the airstrip is expected to cost Rp25 billion. “This figure includes the cost of acquisition of land and earthworks to make hilly terrain suitable for a runway extension,” said the regent.
“If development goes well, then the airport will be operating by the middle of this year.”
The regent said the management of copper and gold mining giant PT Newmont Nusa Tenggara, operators of the Batu Hijau mine, had agreed to help fund construction of the public airport.
West Sumbawa’s head of Transport, Communication and Information, Kaharuddin Karim, said the administration this year had allocated Rp10 billion for airport development and hoped the Rp15 billion shortfall would be met by the private sector.
Later, he said, the airport would be operated jointly by the West Sumbawa administration and the private sector.
Newmont’s Exploration manager H Kasan Mulyono said: “PT NNT will support activities according to the company’s commitment to improve and develop the economic welfare of residents in West Sumbawa regency.”
Newmont would support the airport redevelopment plan as it was likely to trigger an influx of tourists to West Sumbawa, he said.
RICH in potential for development of its agriculture, livestock and mining industries, West Sumbawa Regency is also recognised for the extraordinary prospects of its fledgling tourism sector.
While West Sumbawa lags well behind the popular Senggigi tourism destination on Lombok island, some of the regency’s spectacular and unspoiled coastal locations are drawing domestic and international visitors.
Prime beach destinations include Jelenga, in the Jereweh district, Maluk and Sekongkang.
Interestingly, West Sumbawa’s peak tourist flow occurs in December when weather conditions are less favourable and sometimes include monsoon winds.
“Most tourists visiting West Sumbawa today come to surf,” said the owner of Sekongkang’s Hotel Tropical, Sri Wahyuni White, known as Yuni. “They come at the end of the year because that is when they think we provide the big waves that attract them.”
Yuni, who is the mother of Jakarta television celebrity Andrew White, says the Sekongkang coast is different. Facing the Indian Ocean, Sekongkang gets big rolling waves almost all year round, regardless of season.
“Sekongkang beach is known among surfers as Yoyo’s because the waves roll in and out as consistently as a yoyo on a string,” she said.
“Unfortunately, the abundant tourism potential of West Sumbawa is not being realised because of inadequate infrastructure which is a deterrent to visitors and keeps numbers low.”
Recognising the potential of tourism development in West Sumbawa, regent Zulkifli Muhadli now says a priority project for tourism growth this year is development of Sekongkang airport about 27 kilometres from the regency capital, Taliwang.
The project involves redevelopment of the privately owned Tropical air strip, owned by Hotel Tropical, which ceased operations in 1989.
“The 850-metre runway will be extended to 1500 metres to accommodate ATR aircraft with a capacity of 48 seats,” said Zulkifli.
Currently West Sumbawa can be accessed only via sea from Lombok, where most tourists go, by ferry from East Lombok across the Selat Strait.
“Access is difficult and the long road and ferry trip makes tourists reluctant to come to West Sumbawa, even if they like us as a destination,” said Zulkifli.
“The only way to develop tourism is to achieve fast and easy access by developing Sekongkang airport.”
Remedial work and upgrading of the airstrip is expected to cost Rp25 billion. “This figure includes the cost of acquisition of land and earthworks to make hilly terrain suitable for a runway extension,” said the regent.
“If development goes well, then the airport will be operating by the middle of this year.”
The regent said the management of copper and gold mining giant PT Newmont Nusa Tenggara, operators of the Batu Hijau mine, had agreed to help fund construction of the public airport.
West Sumbawa’s head of Transport, Communication and Information, Kaharuddin Karim, said the administration this year had allocated Rp10 billion for airport development and hoped the Rp15 billion shortfall would be met by the private sector.
Later, he said, the airport would be operated jointly by the West Sumbawa administration and the private sector.
Newmont’s Exploration manager H Kasan Mulyono said: “PT NNT will support activities according to the company’s commitment to improve and develop the economic welfare of residents in West Sumbawa regency.”
Newmont would support the airport redevelopment plan as it was likely to trigger an influx of tourists to West Sumbawa, he said.
http://www.enchanting-lomboksumbawa.com/investment/airport-to-trigger-west-sumbawa-tourism.php
Thanks..
BalasHapusHi, it would be very interesting to know how old is this article ? thanks
BalasHapus