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 Indonesia is planning to host the ASEAN Tourism Investment Forum (ATIF) in Bali on September 20, 2007, according to Director General for Tourist Destination Development of the Culture and Tourism Ministry, Sambudjo Parikesit. According to Parikesit, Indonesia will invite many prospective investors from ASEAN and also the Middle East to invest in the archipelago country while saying that this is the second ATIF after in Malaysia.
In a separate interview with Bisnis Indonesia, Sambudjo Parikesit said that foreign and domestic investors have continued to show interest in the Indonesian tourism sector. In the first two months of this year Foreign Investment totaled US$ 22.2 million and US$ 16.7 million in Domestic Investments. For January these include investments in one hotel, one tour operation, 3 restaurants, two resort developments, one consultancy and one recreation park. In February there were 12 approved foreign investments worth US$ 15.7 million and US$ 15.8 million in domestic investments. These include investments in 3 hotels, 7 marine tourism projects, one resort, two consultancies, two integrated resort developments and one recreation park.
Meanwhile, the Emaar International Group of Dubai, the United Arab Emirates has expressed interest to develop an integrated resort on the island of Lombok. Emaar targets to attract 2 million Middle East tourists to Indonesia.
"Our latest information is that the Emaar International Group is to sign an MoU this April to develop an integrated resort including hotels and recreation park on the Mandalika Beach in Central Lombok.
A number of hotels will be built here on the 1,200 hectares site, golf courses and other sports facilities. The Group has visited Lombok and inspected the site twice, and has immediately expressed their interest to the Governor of West Nusatenggara, on condition that Indonesia finalizes the construction of the Lombok International Airport, planned to be operational by 2009.
Meanwhile, another Middle East investor, Limitless, is also interested to build residential estates and retail business in Jakarta, as well as develop tourist facilities in Bali.
Most encouraging is the interest shown in investments to develop marine tourism facilities, especially in Eastern Indonesia, in particular around Bunaken and Wakatobe in Sulawesi, Derawan in Kalimantan, and Raja Empat in Papua.
Compiled from several sources.Picture courtesy of english.vietnamnet.vn
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