JAKARTA, Feb. 23 (Xinhua) -- Indonesian ministry and investment agency team up to attract investors in tapping the opportunities from the nation's vibrant tourism sector in the Regional Investment Forum (RIF) held in Nusa Dua, Bali on Thursday.
In the event attended by more than 400 foreign and domestic investors, senior Indonesian officials conveyed the lucrative potentialities investors can tap on in the sector as the nation has made tourism sector as a core business, replacing the previous oil and gas, coals and palm oil.
"Investments in infrastructure to support tourism sector would be highly attracting for both domestic and foreign investors in the future," Head of Indonesia's Investment Coordination Agency (BKPM) Thomas Lembong said in his remarks at the event.
Thomas added that investment in the nation's new prioritized sector now grows 18 percent per year, making it highly prospective for investors. willing to plunge in vibrant tourism businesses with 10 new tour destinations are massively developed across the country.
He said Indonesia now requires huge investments in tourism sector as total materialized investment in tourism sector only stood at 51.2 trillion rupiah (about 3.8 billion U.S. Dollars) in the last five years.
Tourism Minister Arief Yahya said involvement of investors to boost national tourism sector is essential as the nation has limited budget in financing projects in the sector, particularly in developing the new 10 tour destinations.
"The investors were expected to build the hotels, resorts, cafes and organize the attractions in each destination, making visitors more comfortable, willing to stay longer there," the minister said.
He added that government would provide infrastructures comprised of electricity and water supplies, roads and telecommunications to support the operation of hospitality accommodations ran by the investors.
The minister said Indonesia expects to get 678.8 trillion rupiah (about 50.8 billion U.S. Dollars) of new investments in the 10 new tour destinations.
Indonesia has set target to welcome 20 million foreign visitors and earning more than 24 billion U.S. Dollars from tourism sector by 2019.
