T

he Lampung administration wants to develop an airport and commuter railways to develop tourism in the province, according to the deputy governor.

“We will facilitate access for visitors through strategic government programs,” Lampung Deputy Governor Joko Umar Said.

Among the projects earmarked by the administration for support are the Sunda Strait Bridge, a toll road between Bakauheni and Terbanggibesar, extending the Trans-Sumatra highway to Aceh, integrating the port at Bandar Lampung with the airports at Jatiagung and Serai and building a commuter railway system.

The deputy governor made his remarks after opening the 2012 Tourism Indonesia Mart and Expo (TIME) in Bandar Lampung recently.

Joko said that poor roads prevented foreign tourists from visiting Lampung’s tourist attractions, such as Mount Anak Krakatau, Lampung Kiluan Bay, Bukit Barisan Selatan National Park and Tanjung Setia Beach.

“Lampung must compete with other provinces in Indonesia to draw visitors,” Joko said.

Kiluan Bay is famed for its ubiquitous schools of dolphins, while Tanjung Setia Beach is renown for a pristine beach and huge waves for surfing. However, both attractions are seldom visited due to poor transportation infrastructure.

“Pekon Serai Airport in Krui, West Lampung, has been completely built and its trial runs have been conducted. Next year, it will start operating, so visitors no longer have to travel by road for six hours from Bandar Lampung to get to Tanjung Setia Beach,” Joko said.

One local tour operator voiced his hope that the central government and provincial administration would expand the provincial road network to encourage tourism.

“No matter how great a tourist spot is, if it’s not supported by good road access, it will be futile. Once the tourists arrive they will be discouraged and will not want to return,” Guntur Supriyadi, a tour operator, said.

Meanwhile, Ponco Sutowo, the chairman of the Indonesian Tourism Community, said the Tourism Indonesia Mart and Expo was an opportunity to promote Lampung and Indonesia as tourist destinations.

“Its [the expo’s] presence is expected to be able to spur tourism growth in Indonesia,” Ponco said.

At last year’s expo, 80 buyers from 27 countries attended and booked total transactions of US$15.7 million, while during the 2010 iteration in Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara, $18.9 million in transactions were recorded.