President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) hopes that the development of various local tourist destinations can reduce the number of domestic tourists traveling abroad, thus reducing the amount of national currency spent in other countries.
During the inauguration of the Lido Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in Bogor district, West Java province, on Friday, the president cited the report by Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto, stating that at least 11 million Indonesians they went on vacation abroad in a year.
“If we can halve (the number of people who have vacations abroad), a significant amount of (national) currency will not be spent in other countries,” Jokowi remarked, as monitored from a video broadcast on the channel YouTube of the Presidential Secretariat.
Jokowi praised the establishment of various tourist attractions in the Lido SEZ which he believed would attract tourists to visit the economic zone.
“Thus, in the future, we hope that there will be no more domestic tourists who prefer to spend their vacations abroad rather than in their own country,” Jokowi emphasized.
In addition, the journey to the SEZ only takes about an hour from Jakarta, and the economic zone is surrounded by the scenic beauty of Mount Gede, Mount Pangrango and Mount Salak, he said.
On the occasion, he also praised the management of Lido SEZ, PT MNC Land Lido, for optimizing the utilization of the government-built infrastructure, the Bogor-Ciawi-Sukabumi (Bocimi) Toll Highway, which is connected to the Jakarta-Bogor -Ciawi (Jagorawi) Highway.
According to the National Committee for SEZ website, Lido SEZ is located near the Cigombong toll gate of Bocimi toll road and only two hours from Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, Tangerang, Banten Province.
The SEZ offers several tourist attractions, including Movieland, a 21-hectare movie-themed area, with indoor and outdoor studios, as well as various support facilities for film activities.
Other attractions include a themed amusement park, the Lido Music & Arts Centre, the Lido Lake Resort and the Lido Adventure Park.
A 17-hectare Lido World Garden and a 101-hectare Lido Nature Park conservation and ecotourism area are also established in the economic zone. Both areas are managed by PT MNC Land Lido in collaboration with the Mount Gede-Pangrango National Park Centre.
Additionally, a technology park and data center help support creative economic activities in the area.
Category: Indonesia
