Kei Islands Became the Image of Maluku Tourism

LANGGUR, LELEMUKU.COM - Southeast Maluku Regent, Maluku Province, Samuel Risembess said there are a number of efforts to promote Southeast Maluku tourism has been done primarily in improving accessibility and promotion, because now the Kei Islands so the image of tourism in Maluku.

"Currently Kei is the face of Maluku province tourism, because most of the tourism potential of Maluku is in the district," said Samuel in Langgur, Southeast Maluku, Friday (16/3).

For accessibility, the Southeast Maluku Regency in cooperation with the Ministry of Transportation plans to extend the runway of Karel Sadsuitubun Airport from 2350 m to 2500 m.

"In addition to the planned runway extension, last January the Southeast Moluccas managed to bring Sriwijaya Airlines from Makassar to Langgur and Batik Air is also planned to fly to Langgur," said Samuel.

In terms of promotion, Southeast Maluku boosted its tourism potential through the holding of events. One of them is the 2018 Wonderful Sail event which will be held on 23-27 July 2018.

"For the 2018 Wonderful Sail, we will focus on preparing excellent products from each village in Southeast Maluku Regency as an attraction later" said Samuel.

Still on the promotion side, Southeast Maluku Regency has also successfully organized big event that is Bali Kei Archipelago Festival (BKAF) which is the first international event in Kei Island and Meti Kei Festival which both held in October of 2017.

Another tourism program plan that is "one village, one product" that seeks to create excellent products of culinary, handicraft, and art from each village in Southeast Maluku district is expected to continue even after the Wonderful Sail Event 2018 is completed.

"Our expectation of the typical product of each village can extend the lenght of stay from the tourists who come," said Head of Southeast Maluku Tourism Office, Roy Rahajaan.

All the commitments and efforts undertaken to promote tourism by the district government and dispar of Southeast Maluku are not without challenges. Natural conditions for unpredictable travel, telecoms availability or very limited providers, minimal amenitas, access to islands that still only rely on speed boats and fishing boats with long travel time, waste in tourist destinations, and human resources tourism is still a number of obstacles.

"The challenge is a lot but the funds are limited, but we keep trying to fix one by one the problem, the connection with the garbage, for example, we have just signed the MoU Cipta Karya, got the garbage car and recycling garbage.Furthermore, the waste will be assisted by Cipta Karya to handle, "Roy Rahayu said.

In addition, in 2017, the focus dispar of Southeast Maluku is to improve the quality of tourism human resources by conducting training and workshops, this year Dispar Maluku Tenggara focuses on the preparation of tourism objects. Roy explained, one of the efforts made by Dispar by building a culinary center at a tourist spot such as the long beach, which had just finished last year. (Kemenpar)