Surabaya City Government Prepares GBT Stadium As Sports Tourism

Gelora Bung Tomo Stadium (GBT) Surabaya. (ANTARA/HO-Diskominfo Surabaya)

SURABAYA - The Surabaya City Government cooperates with Persebaya to prepare the Gelora Bung Tomo Stadium (GBT) as a "sport tourism" or tourism combined with sports.

Surabaya Mayor Eri Cahyadi said the GBT Stadium is the Persebaya homebase so that it has the potential to be opened for "sport tourism".

"So people come to see where Persebaya's homebase is. It's the same with us if we want to go to Barcelona or Real Madrid, there's a homebase. Later the homebase will be made where the game is, game with the ball. So Surabaya has heritage tourism, religious tourism, and football tours," he said as quoted by ANTARA, Thursday, May 11.

Mayor Eri explained that the GBT Stadium is now of international standard, so there is no need for rearrangement to provide soccer tourist attractions. For the location, you can take advantage of the empty spaces between the pillars of the building.

"Below it (the stands), if we enter the gate there is an empty (space), under the pillars. So that's what we take advantage of," said Cak Eri, the nickname of the Mayor of Surabaya.

Thus, Cak Eri hopes that when tourists come to Surabaya and want to see Persebaya's homebase, they can visit the GBT Stadium. There, it can be equipped with photos of Persebaya legends from time to time, trophies or awards to games related to football.

"If I go to Barcelona, I will definitely stop by the stadium. If I go to Madrid, I will definitely stop by the stadium. It means that if people (tourists) go to Surabaya, they have to stop by GBT," he said.

To introduce the football tour, Cak Eri also asked the Surabaya Department of Culture, Youth and Sports (Disbudparpora) to promote it through hotels that can be done with brochures or videos.

"So that person (tourists) came to Surabaya not only to Romokalisari Adventure Land. But he could play at the GBT Stadium. Well, friends (Persebaya management) can sell their merchandise," he said.