Govt Optimizing Border Area Tourism Promotion

Jakarta (Antara Bali) - The government through the Ministry of Culture and Creative Economy has started optimizing border area tourism promotion.

"The border areas at present are one of our primary concerns in a bid to net as many foreign tourists as possible into Indonesia," Tourism and Creative Economic Ministry's domestic promotion director Muhammad Farid said here on Thursday.

He said most of border areas in Indonesia in general had attractive tourist destinations but unfortunately they were yet to be managed well.

Therefore he said special efforts were needed to develop those areas in order to attract more tourists from the neighboring countries.

"For example in Singkawang, West Kalimantan, the area which share a border with Malaysia is rich in tourism attractions that have to be developed optimally," Farid said.

He said Singkawang has beautiful coastline, community's unique culture as an acculturation between Malay and China, and tempting culinary products.

According to Farid, many more border areas would be developed and turned into new tourist destinations.(**)