Multa Fidrus | Banten-News | South Tangerang
The newly formed Banten Tourism Promotion Body (BPPD) assured that it can help jack up the regional revenue from tourism sector as long as it obtains support form all parties across the province.
“BPPD has been estabilshed and the organization boards had been installed. So, we have to start working hard and put everything into place from now and on,” Achmad Sari Alam, BPPD chairman said in a recent interview with The Banten Journal at Grand Zury hotel in Serpong, South Tangerang.
According to Achmad, business in tourism sector across the province has grown rapidly in the past years thanks to good road infratructure that help accelerate the growth.
He cited South Tangerang municipality as an example. Revenue from tourism sector in the municipality was not more than Rp 50 billions as of 2010. In late 2011, the revenue rose to Rp 78 billions and this year, it increased to Rp 100 billions.
“This is a very good indicator of the significant growth,” he said,” adding that persistent development programs set up by the Banten provincial administration and the central government would give positive impacts to tourism growth.
“We heard that the provincial administration allocated Rp 1.1 trillion from the budget to improve road and bridge infrastructure this year. This certainly will support the growth of tourism sector across the province,” he said.
Separately, Ashok Kumar, another BPPD boards member said that development planning of toruism sector should involve the locals, mass orgaizations, Non Govermental Organizations and media.
“We can’t develop without media because media plays very important roles in distributing information about what we planned, what we have done and what we will do,” he said.
Andika Hazrumi, a BPPD patron said that development programs in tourism sector in Banten could never go alone without supports from all layers of life.
“To develop tourism sector in Banten, we need a breakthrough such as involving the culture of Banten community without destroying the existing cultural values,” he said.
He hoped that what BPPD had planned to improve service and promotion in tourism sector can materialize in the neaer future which in turns will also improve the people’s economy in at tourist destination points.
