0 Sanur one of five national priority destinations

Sanur is one of five priority destinations in Indonesia that will be developed further this year, an official from the tourism ministry said. Besides Sanur, the other four selected destinations are Bromo-Tengger-Semeru in East Java, Komodo Island in Nusa Tenggara, Wakatobi in Southeast Sulawesi and Toraja in South Sulawesi. These destinations will be developed and promoted more seriously during various tourism exhibitions and sales missions, said Esthy Reko Astuty, the ministry’s director general for marketing. 

“We will also prepare to welcome the visits of tourism consultants and media from abroad,” she said, adding that the ministry would also intensify promotion through various media. These five top destinations were most recently promoted during the major tourism event Vakantiebeurs 2013 in Utrecht, which was held from Jan. 8 to 13. This is the sixth year that Indonesia has participated in the event. Ida Bagus Gede Sidharta Putra, chairman of Sanur Development Foundation, said that the Sanur community was proud and challenged to be selected as one of the country’s top five destinations. 

He said Sanur needed to maintain its characteristics and originality as a unique destination in Bali, including in terms of its infrastructure, architecture and local people’s lifestyle. “Sanur already has a strong character as a relaxing coastal resort area, where tourists and the local community mix in harmony,” he said, adding that local people had benefited from tourism. Tourism stakeholders also needed to maintain the tourism market in the area, comprising 60 percent European tourists, 30 percent Australian and the remaining 10 percent mixed, he said. 

Every year, tourism stakeholders join promotional events in Europe, Australia and Japan. To make the most of tourists’ movement from one destination to another, the ministry has committed to develop 16 strategic destinations and promote seven types of special tourism: culture and history; nature and ecotourism; recreational sports; cruise; culinary and shopping; spa and wellness; as well as meeting, incentive, conference and exhibition travel (MICE).

source : bali daily