SOME 900 FOREIGN TOURISTS TO VISIT NTB PROVINCE

Mataram, NTB, Feb 6 (ANTARA)- At least 900 foreign tourists were scheduled to visit West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) province on February 24 by Roterdam cruise ship, which will anchor at Lembar harbour, West Lombok, an official said.

"Some 900 foreign tourists will arrive in NTB province for a week visit beginning February 24, 2009," head of culture and tourism provincial office, Lalu Gita Ariadi said here on Friday.
Such amount of foreign tourists coming is expected to help reach the target of foreign tourists arrival amounting one million people in 2012 to NTB province, he said.
According to him, the tourists will visit several objects namely NTB museum, Taman (park) Armada, Pasar Seni (arts market) Sayang-Sayang and handicrafts centre.
Lalu, however, did not elaborate the foreign tourists' countries of origin.
Lalu was optimistic that target of one million foreign tourist visit to the province could be met because NTB province is situated at the so-called golden triangle namely at the western part of Bali island, eastern of Komodo island in East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) province and south of Tanah Toraja in South Sulawesi province.
In effort to boost the flow of foreign tourist visit to NTB, the provincial government has been trying to expedite the construction work of the Lombok International Airport (BIL) Tanak Awu village, Lombok Tengah district which is expected to complete in 2010, Lalu added.