WEST Sumatra’s government is laying out the groundwork for more tourist arrivals by developing attractions and events, in a bid to make tourism a top five revenue earner for the region.
Irwan Prayitno, governor of West Sumatra, said that Padang has seen investment in the tourism industry grow significantly since the devastating earthquake in 2009, especially in hotels and restaurants, making it the second largest sector for investments after infrastructure.
From 1,500 rooms in 2009, the city now boasts 2,800 and a few hundred more are expected to enter the market by next year. Accor became the first international hotel operator in the city when it opened Mercure Padang in 2011 and has an Ibis hotel under construction.
On accessibility, West Sumatra regional tourism office head, Burhasman, said: “We have seen the number of flights increase from 13,442 annually in 2009 to 16,786 today.”
The regional government is also talking to Garuda Indonesia to launch services between Padang and Singapore. “Tigerair Mandala started a flight (at end-2012) between Singapore and Padang, but the schedule of arrival (in Padang late at night) and departure (early morning) was not suitable for inbound travellers from Singapore. They finally terminated the service after four months.
“I’m confident the market is there if the airline can set a suitable timetable,” said Irwan.
Irwan also said that more attention would be given to developing or hosting international events such as the annual Tour de Singkarak cycling race, which has drawn domestic and international attention and boosted the confidence of investors. At least four more events have been scheduled for 2014, including TIME.
“By hosting TIME 2013, we brought international buyers to meet local operators and suppliers and to see for themselves what we have to offer…We hope that buyers and sellers will create products suitable for different markets,” he said.
The West Sumatra government is also looking to cooperate with local districts for better tourist attractions. “For example, Ngarai Sianok is a beautiful attraction but needs cleaning up, while other areas need renovation. We will explore budget sharing to develop the sites,” said Irwan.
