Jokowi Targets Labuan Bajo To Get 1 Million Tourists

President Jokowi (Screenshot of the Presidential Secretariat YouTube/Diah Ayu-VOI)

JAKARTA - President Joko Widodo is targeting the Labuan Bajo tourist area, West Manggarai Regency, East Nusa Tenggara to attract at least one million tourists.

Because, according to Jokowi, the number of tourists can increase because the arrangement of the area and infrastructure to support Labuan Bajo tourism has begun in the last two years.

This was conveyed by Jokowi in his statement after inaugurating and reviewing the arrangement of the area on Rinca Island, Komodo National Park.

"For the first target, Labuan Bajo must be at least 1 million. Because it's an airport, the capacity is like that," Jokowi said on Thursday, July 21.

Currently, said Jokowi, Rinca Island, and the old port at Marina have been arranged. Jokowi said that the target number of tourists would increase when the Komodo Airport runway extension project was completed.

"If later the runway has been extended, wide body can enter, (tourist targets) will increase again to 1.5 million (people). I have conveyed it to the Minister of Tourism, Pak Sandiaga Uno," said Jokowi.

Therefore, Jokowi reminded that maintaining the area is the responsibility of all parties, from the central government, in this case the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy, to governors and regents.

According to him, the maintenance of a well-maintained tourist area will be one of the added values for tourists to visit Labuan Bajo again.

“Don't let trash be scattered everywhere. Small things but be careful, it will be seen by tourists, by domestic tourists. He came back or not because of that, one of them because of those things. Our hospitality in serving tourists is also very important," he added.