The tourism industry has asked the East Java administration to develop new roads to promote tourist destinations that suffer from poor access as a result of the Lapindo mudflow, an official said.
Provincial tourism and culture agency official Djoni Irianto said many tourist destinations in East Java's southern areas had suffered losses after the Gempol toll road, the main access from Surabaya to those areas, was inundated by the mudflow.
"We have many potential *tourist* destinations, but there is a lack of infrastructure, especially roads *offering access to them*. The situation worsened after the Lapindo mudflow, which cut off access from Surabaya's Juanda Airport to the southern areas," Djoni said recently.
He said the construction of a road could help develop tourist destinations, such as Plengkung Beach in Banyuwangi, which has some of the best surfing waves, Ijen Crater in Malang and Bromo Mountain in Probolinggo.
The Lapindo tragedy, which took place near PT Lapindo Brantas gas exploration well, inundated hundreds of hectares of agricultural, industrial and residential areas.
According to the National Development Board, the high pressure mud, which first started leaking from the ground in May 2006, has caused Rp 27.7 trillion (US$2.7 billion) worth of damages. But NGO Greenomics Indonesia stated the losses reached Rp 33.27 trillion.
The East Java chapter of the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry recorded that the industrial sector, including the tourism industry, suffered losses of Rp 2 trillion due to the mudflow.
The number of tourists visiting Malang dropped from 4.500 to 1,000 people a month, since the Gempol road was engulfed by the mudflow. Many villa owners tried to sell their resort houses as their rental businesses continuously suffered losses.
The central government has planned to develop a new toll road to replace the Gempol one at Sidoarjo.
The project, which is scheduled to be completed in 2010, is one of 11 toll road projects already planned across the country.
Six of the projects are located in East Java, connecting Mantingan to Kertosono (122 kilometers), Kertosono to Mojokerto (41 kilometers), Surabaya to Mojokerto (37 kilometers), Gempol to Pasuruan (32 kilometers), Pasuruan to Probolinggo (45 kilometers) and Probolinggo to Banyuwangi (170 kilometers).
Despite the obstacles created by the mudflow, head of the Jember Tourism agency Arif Cahyono said the agency was preparing an annual event called the 2009 Jember Visit of the Month (BBJ), and conducting several activities, including vamping up several tourist destinations.
"We are now decorating several tourist destinations, such as Rembangan," Arif said.
He said his agency would cooperate with travel agencies and hotels to support the BBJ program.
"We are targeting a 90 percent occupancy rate for hotels in Jember during the program. The current occupancy rate is 75 percent," he said.
He added the 2009 BBJ event would be held from July to August, and feature several activities such as a fashion carnival in Jember on Aug. 2.
Besides the fashion show, several exhibitions would be held during the BBJ 2009, including a handi-craft expo.
