West Manggarai – The tourism sector at the location of the ASEAN Summit venue, namely Labuan Bajo, East Nusa Tenggara, is certain to remain open while the international event is taking place.
Main Director of the Labuan Bajo Flores Tourism Authority Executing Agency (BPOLBF), Shana Fatina ensured that tourism would not be closed during the ASEAN Summit. However, there are ASEAN Summit venues that will be very tightly secured.
The venues in question are not far from the port, including the Meruorah Hotel which is in the center of a tourism location. Likewise, Hotel Ayana, which is only about 6 kilometers from Hotel Meruorah.
“There is no closure of tourist activities and they are still running as usual, the difference is that there is a little traffic jam around the main location,” explained Shana.
BPOLBF, continued Shana, is involved in assisting the central government, especially the Ministry of State Secretariat and Ministry of Foreign Affairs in technical work.
One of them is coordinating security with related parties so as not to disrupt Labuan Bajo tourism activities. Given that the ASEAN Summit was held in the early peak season of tourist visits to Labuan Bajo.
“We help security to run smoothly, especially for tourists. This is the most crucial actually. Moreover, at the time the activity was again at the beginning of the peak season for tourist visits,” he explained.
Meanwhile, security at the ASEAN Summit venues, such as the Meruorah Hotel, Ayana Hotel, and the Meeting, Incentives, Conventions and Exhibitions (MICE) area will certainly be very tight. Tourists will also go through screening.
Meanwhile, the Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy, Sandiaga Uno said, the 42nd ASEAN Summit in Labuan Bajo was expected to trigger 1.1 million visits by foreign tourists (tourists). Moreover, the government continues to boost infrastructure development in Labuan Bajo, as one of the Super Priority Destinations (DSP).
“The target is because the infrastructure is made, around 1.1 million (foreign tourists),” said Sandi.
According to Menparekraf, new destinations are needed to support the target of foreign tourist visits due to the ASEAN Summit. This is because the Government has set a quota limit of 200,000 visitors per year in the Komodo National Park in the interest of maintaining the sustainability of the ecosystem in the area.
