Labuan Bajo ready for 42nd ASEAN Summit

Thị trấn Labuan Bajo (Nguồn: Reuters.)

Labuan Bajo town (Source: Reuters.)

Indonesian Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy Sandiaga Salahuddin Uno affirmed that Labuan Bajo town, East Nusa Tenggara province, is ready to welcome delegates to the 42nd Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit taking place from May 9-11.

According to a VNA reporter in Jakarta, speaking at a press conference, Mr. Sandiaga said that besides homestays and inns, Labuan Bajo currently has 38 3-5 star hotels with a total of more than 1,500 rooms to meet the accommodation needs of leaders, delegates and the media.

In addition, the local government has also mobilized 26 yachts and cruise ships with a total capacity of 4,200 people to serve as alternative accommodation for delegates. The ministry has also designated 20 restaurants and cafes in Labuan Bajo town as “ culinary destinations,” and recruited 40 local micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises to support the upcoming ASEAN Summit.

To ensure accessibility, the Indonesian government has completed the renovation of Komodo Labuan Bajo International Airport, with a passenger terminal of approximately 14,000 square meters and a capacity of 1.1 million passengers per year. The airport currently has a total of 7 aprons with a capacity of 4 narrow-body aircraft and 3 propeller aircraft.

In addition, the Ministry of Transport has prepared several backup airports as overnight parking locations for private jets, namely I Gusti Ngurah Rai Airport in Bali province, Lombok Praya Airport in Lombok, Sultan Hasanuddin Airport in South Sulawesi province, and El Tari Airport in Kupang city, the capital of East Nusa Tenggara province.

To assist delegates and the media with information, the Ministry of Tourism will install several Tourist Information Centers (TICs) in Labuan Bajo, in addition to offering food packages; Komodo dragon cruise packages, sightseeing tours to local tourist attractions and villages.

As a member of the National Organizing Committee, the Ministry will organize a cultural and artistic event called “Labuan Bajo Street Carnival” on May 7 at Wae Kasambi Stadium, with many activities such as food fair, music performances, cultural and fashion shows.

Head of the Labuan Bajo Flores Tourism Authority (BPOLBF) Shana Fatina said that industry players, government officials and local residents are excited to welcome this major event, and pledged that all tourism destinations and activities will remain open to visitors during the summit.

The 42nd ASEAN Summit is expected to contribute to widely promoting and significantly impacting Labuan Bajo's tourism industry, especially in the fields of transportation, sightseeing, accommodation and handicrafts, while promoting the recovery of the "smokeless industry" of the "thousand-island nation" after the COVID-19 pandemic.

Indonesian officials estimate that the conference could contribute 5,000 billion rupiah (nearly 341 million USD) to the local economy, while promoting the recovery of tourism and micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs).

On the other hand, this event will also bring new business opportunities for the private sector in the green economy, while strengthening the commitment of regional countries to the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, towards the goal of carbon neutrality by 2060.

Source: VNA/Vietnam+

Source link