Minister for Tourism and Creative Economy, Mari Elka Pangestu informed the press that for 2013 Indonesia is targeting 9 million international foreign visitor arrivals.
Next year Indonesia will host the APEC Summit in Bali with prior related conferences held in other cities around Indonesia. Next year, Bali will also host the Miss World Pageant. Both events are certain to attract a large number of delegates and participants, said Minister Mari Pangestu.
The target of 9 million international visitors is an increase of 12.5% over this year’s target of 8 million foreign tourists. Last year, Indonesia received 7.65 million tourists. For statistics details, go to: www.parekraf.go.id .
In preparation for the APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic) Forum which is due to be held in October 2013 and expected to be attended by 21 heads of state, work on infrastructure on Bali is moving at a breakneck pace.
The Ngurah Rai airport is being enlarged. Moreover, an 11.4 km toll road over the sea and mangrove forests is in construction connecting Ngurah Rai Airport with Tanjug Benoa and the Nusa Dua resort. And, to minimize traffic snarls around the Dewa Ruci Junction, an underpass is also being built here, said Public Relations Officer of Construction Company PT Jasa Marga forr the Bali Toll road, Drajad H. Suseno according to detikFinance.
The toll road is due to be operational around April next year, while the extended airport is planned to be ready well before the APEC Conference.
The Nusa Dua resorts will be the focus of all APEC meetings. Nusa Dua has two large convention centers – they are the Bali International Convention Center and the Nusa Dua Convention Center. All heads of state are expected to stay at individual hotels in the Nusa Dua area, and all Nusa Dua hotels are now being upgraded and prepared to meet the demands of hosting heads of state and delegates to APEC.
Meanwhile, the airport in the town of Banyuwangi at the easternmost corner of East Java directly facing the island of Bali, is being prepared as a holding area to park VVIP planes. To boost the operation of the small Banyuwangi airport, LCC carrier, Lion Air, has already started flying Jakarta-Banyuwangi since September 2012.
The Miss World 2013 Pageant will be hosted jointly by Bali and Jakarta, due to be held in September 2013, where almost all preliminary events will take place in Bali, while the final crowning of Miss World 2013 will culminate in Jakarta.
