By APD writerAditya Nugraha

JAKARTA, Oct. 26 (APD) – Indonesia sends a sales mission aimed at attracting highly potential Singapore market to vibrate tourism industry in areas not affected by earthquake in the increasingly popular Island of Lombok.

The Indonesian sales mission, constituted by 12 tourism operators in Lombok, were scheduled to meet with 50 Singaporean buyers in a Singapore lavish hotel on Friday to sell various tour packages in Indonesia’s exotic island adjacent to Bali.

“The sales mission would be conducted on Business to Business (B to B) format so as to assure compliance of targeted number of potential tourists to visit Lombok,” Assistant Deputy Minister for Regional I Marketing Development at the Tourism Ministry Masruroh said here recently.

Singaporean tourists dominated foreign arrival of foreign tourist in Indonesia until 2016 before toppled down by Chinese tourists.

Indonesia received over 1.5 million Singaporean tourists last year, higher than around 1.4 million a year earlier.

Various of Lombok traditional and cultural performances would be staged in the gala dinner to serve the Singaporean buyers in gala dinner featured in the event, she added.

According to her, the current sales mission in Singapore was important to recover tourism in Lombok, which has been set as part of Indonesia’s prioritized destinations to receive more foreign tourists other than Bali.

With their small islands off the mainland, east and south Lombok areas offer unforgettable experiences for foreign tourists. Beaches in most of the Lombok’s small islands, called gili, have distinctive character with their pinky sands.

Lombok small islands in those areas also offer beautiful coral reef ecosystem view amid cold seawater and scenic natural sceneries from incredibly picturesque contour of the island.

Extending the options for the visiting tourists, government is now progressing the projects to build Mandalika tourism zone in south Lombok, projected as a new popular spot completed with compounds of lavish hotels and international racing circuit. A seaport terminal would also be built in Mandalika to accommodate cruise ship mooring in Lombok.

The 7.0 earthquake that occurred early August has severely damaged popular tourism spots in bustling area of Senggigi in the north. Works to rehabilitate and renovate tourism infrastructure and accommodations were underway at present as foreign tourists have started to come back again in Lombok.

(ASIA PACIFIC DAILY)