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Tambora festival expected to boost foreign arrivals in NTB
An aerial view of Mount Tambora's crater
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span class="inline inline-center">An aerial view of Mount Tambora's crater. The Pesona Tambora (Tambora Charms) festival will be held on April 11 to 16 to boost foreign arrivals in West Nusa Tenggara. (Photo courtesy of NASA Earth Observatory)
A cultural festival to promote tourism in West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) was launched by Tourism Minister Arief Yahya in Jakarta on Monday.
Called Pesona Tambora (Tambora Charms), the annual festival will be held on April 11 to 16 in Dompu and Bima regencies, with scheduled events including competitions, seminars, art performances, a photography trip and a bike camp.
According to NTB Governor M. Zainal Majdi, seminars with topics ranging from maritime tourism to halal tourism will be held as part of the festival's pre-event activities. Meanwhile, the Tambora Literary and Film Festival as well as sports events such as the Tambora Ultra Run and the Tambora Bike Camp are set to enliven the festival.
"A photography trip to Tambora will serve as a post-event to attract more people to visit and enjoy the beautiful natural landscape of West Nusa Tenggara," said Zainal.
The government hopes to increase the number of foreign arrivals to Lombok and Sumbawa from 1 million to 1.5 million by the end of 2016 as part of the overall 12 million foreign arrivals the country is targeting this year.
Last year, the large-scale tourism event Mount Tambora Menyapa Dunia (Tambora Greets the World) was held to commemorate the mountain's massive eruption 200 years ago.
Mt. Tambora is located on a peninsula in Sumbawa, towering 2,850 meters above sea level. A large caldera was formed on its peak as a result of the 1815 eruption.
The eruption triggered many historical events around the world. Besides destroying three kingdoms in the area, the eruption is said to have caused the Western world to endure one of the coldest years ever, known as the Year Without a Summer. The extreme weather killed many horses, which is said to have prompted Europeans to invent bicycles as an alternative mode of transportation.
NTB is a relatively familiar name as a tourist destination, thanks to the likes of the Gili Islands and the pink sand at Tangsi Beach. However, most of the well-known spots are located on Lombok Island, leaving neighboring Sumbawa Island with much to be explored. (kes)(+)
