INDONESIAN province Aceh is showcasing its appeal at this year’s Tourism Indonesia Mart and Expo (TIME) 2014, promising that sharia law will not been “a stumbling block” to tourism development.
Better known for being the closest land mass to the epicenter of 2004’s Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami, Rahmadhani, director for programming and planning, Aceh Culture and Tourism Office, said the devastating tsunami and subsequent reconstruction involving the international community were a form of word-of-mouth promotion for the province.
Arrivals have been growing between 10 and 15 per cent annually in the last few years, and Aceh registered 1.2 million arrivals last year. Of this figure, 43,000 were international travellers.
Aceh wants to achieve 1.5 million domestic and international arrivals this year. It also aims to increase tourism’s contribution to regional income from the current 0.9 per cent share to three per cent in the next couple of years.
Aceh governor Zaini Abdullah said in his TIME 2014 opening remarks over dinner at his residence last night: “(More) countries are taking serious steps in developing tourism as it plays a key role in the development of a country.
“Aceh is one destination which is enthusiastically embracing tourism as part of efforts to develop the province. Sharia law is not a stumbling block to tourism development as tourism develops communications and friendship among people.”
Aceh has at least 10 major tourist attractions in the nature, religious and special interest categories. Sabang is currently the major destination, but other areas in the province also have development potential.
In the meantime, Garuda Indonesia, which currently has three daily services between Jakarta and Banda Aceh, is planning to mount flights out of Medan to Lhok Seumawe, Banda Aceh and Meulaboh next year.
