Last 12 months, there have been several official reports in regards to the Indonesian government’s plans to duplicate Bali’s tourism success in other small towns across the country. One of the sites identified for this project was Mandalika on the island of Lombok.
To speed up these efforts, the federal government also introduced a visa-free policy that covered travelers arriving from over 100 different countries. Clearance permission was also abolished for yachts entering Indonesian territory, and cabotage policy was deregulated for international cruise ships.
As a report by the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) suggests, Lombok, positioned in West Nusa Tenggara, is slowly and steadily becoming extremely popular amongst international students. In March 2016, over 73,000 foreign tourists arrived in Indonesia, a rise of twenty-two.52% in comparison with March 2015 travel statistics.
A green future
In 2016, the government-owned organization took on responsibility for developing tourism in the gorgeous Indonesian location of Mandalika in Lombok. The project included the development of infrastructure, including solar energy plants, water treatment plants and roads.
According to the ITDC plan, the solar energy plant will use the world under the solar panels as a greenhouse for organic crop cultivation. The company will develop the solar plant in stages and plans to achieve full capability by 2019.
To support Mandalika’s development vision, an internal transport system is to be designed in synergy with the concept. An alternative to an ecological transport solution might be an electrical railway. Taking advantage of the natural surroundings, a cable automotive might be built for public recreational transport.
There are plans to make use of energy from solar cells and hybrid technology. The power plant, which covers as much as 50 hectares of land, will cover half of the resort’s energy demand, which is anticipated to achieve 110 megawatts by 2025. However, the development period of the primary stage might be 6-9 months.
Hotel development in Mandalika
Discussing development plans in Mandalika, it was reported that Edwin Darmasetiawan of the Indonesia Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC) said that the corporate has also began construction of the Mandalika Grand Mosque in order that KEK Mandalika also can welcome Muslims.
According to Edwin’s reports, almost 1,500 hotel rooms could also be put into use by 2018 as a part of the Mandalika project. Hotel rooms might be provided by quite a few hotels, including: Club Med, Pullman, Marriott by EBD Bauer and Tulip (Lee Group).
Greater investment opportunities in Lombok
According to ITDC, hotel development is crucial for the development of Mandalika Resort, which is in the ultimate phase of development. Mandalika Resort will offer its guests roughly 10,533 rooms. ITDC’s vision is to create a complicated tourist destination, which is why several large hotels of well-known brands might be inbuilt Mandalika. This will definitely make Lombok a lucrative investment destination for investors from all walks of life.
Mandalika’s natural beauty and availability of boutique resorts make it an excellent getaway for tourists. The principal focus of hotel development at Mandalika Resort is 4- and 5-star hotels. At the identical time, the Mandalika project may even develop 3-star and other sorts of hotels to expand its potential customer base to incorporate those searching for more pocket-friendly investment options in Indonesia.
This article was first published in Indonesia Emigrant on April 6, 2017
