T

he central government has made a pledge to revive the tourist industry in Nias Islands, North Sumatra, which has been declining since the earthquakes that hit the region 10 years ago, a minister said.

Tourism Minister Arif Yahya said Nias had competitive advantages in natural, marine and cultural tourism. However, tourists seldom visited because of limited access.

Providing an example, Arif said the airport in Nias was not yet able to accommodate big planes, saying that the runway currently was only 1,600 meters.

'€œThe runway has to be lengthened to 2,500 m at the least so that it will be able to accommodate bigger planes from a number of countries,'€ Arif said in Nias on Saturday.

Arif was on the island for the groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of the Nias Earthquake Monument and the commemoration of the 10th anniversary
of the earthquake at the reclamation site on Jl. Susur Pantai, Gunung Sitoli.

The quake, which struck the island on March 28, claimed the lives of 685 people in Nias regency and 165 in South Nias regency.

About 28,000 houses were destroyed by the 8.7-magnitude quake in Nias and another 17,326 houses in South Nias.

The most damaged tourist spots were Sorake and Lagundri beaches, famous surf spots, particularly popular with Australia surfers, as the waves at Sorake and Lagundri can reach a height of seven meters. Surfing competitions are often held at Sorake beach.

The other famous tourist destination affected by the quake in Bao Matoduo subdistrict, South Nias, are the traditional houses, some of them over 400 years old.

According to a decree issued by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono at that time, the government had earmarked Rp 2.097 trillion (US$284 million) to carry out reconstruction and rehabilitation work in Nias.

Arif said that to improve tourism in Nias his office would synergize with a number of other related ministries to develop the needed infrastructure and facilities on the island, including a proper airport.

He expressed confidence that a proper airport and other supporting facilities would increase the number of foreign tourists in the region.

Nias, according to Arif, currently received some 25,000 tourists annually. With the planned improvements of infrastructure and facilities, he said, by 2019 the figure was expected to increase to 100,000 tourists.

The figure is expected to continue increasing such that by 2024 it is will be 1 million, Arif said.

'€œI am optimistic the target will be achieved because the Nias Islands have extraordinary potential for natural, marine and cultural tourism,'€ he said, adding that his ministry had included Nias architecture as a candidate for the best national architecture.

Meanwhile Law and Human Rights Minister Yasonna Hamonangan Laoly, who is a native of Nias, said the move to grant free visas to 45 countries was made to help increase foreign tourist visits to Indonesia, including to Nias.

He asked regional administration leaders in Nias Islands to prepare a special program aimed at making local people welcoming and understanding of tourists.