Ten Top Tourist Destinations To Be Developed Using Foreign Loans

Jakarta (Antara Bali)- The accelerated development of Indonesia's ten top tourist destination will be carried out partly by using foreign loans, a minister said.

"Concerning the funding, there will be international loans worth US$500 million as preliminary loans for infrastructure facilities," Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs Rizal Ramli said after chairing a coordinating meeting on the establishment of Lake Toba authority, here, Thursday.

The development works of the 10 destinations will need a total funds of some US$3 billion which is expected to be obtained both from foreign loans and the State Budget (APBN), he said.

The loans is expected to be receive among others from the World Bank.

The government has decided to expedite the renovations of the ten prioritized tourist destinations - Tanjung Klayang (Bangka Belitung), Lake Toba (North Sumatra), Seribu Islands (Jakarta), Tanjung Lesung (Banten), Borobudur (Central Java), Bromo-Tengger-Semeru (East Java), Mandalika (West Nusa Tenggara), Labuan Bajo (East Nusa Tenggara), Wakatobi (Southeast Sulawesi), and Morotai (North Maluku).

The "new" destinations are expected to boost the country's tourism industry, beyond the world's most famous tourist resort Bali Island.

The government has set a target of attracting 12 million foreign tourists this year, and 20 million by 2019. (WDY)