Government of East Nusa Tenggara Provinceprepares a budget worth  around Rp500 million to fix tourist villages that spread in a number of areas, especially on Timor Island and its surroundings.Head of East Nusa Tenggara Provincial Tourism Office, Marius Ardu Jelamu said in Kupang on Saturday that there is Rp500 million in prepared funds through the 2018 Regional Revenue and Expenditure Budget -APBD changes to fix tourist villages.He also stated that the improvement of the tourism villages is carried out in a number of areas, such as Goa Monyet and Lasiana Beach, as well as Tablolong tour in Kupang Regency, Fatumnasi Tourism Village in the regency of South Timor Tengah as well as a tourist village in Rote Ndao Regency, and Sabu Raijua Regency.He added that this improvement is aimed at supporting facilities in the tourist villages so that it would be more adequate for local community and visitors’ needs. He also remarked that the improvement of tourist villages is expected to be a buffer for leading tourism destinations that are already popular, such as Komodo National Park and Kelimutu Lake.

Mutiara SIS Al-Jufrie AirportPalu, Central Sulawesi begins to be opened for commercial flights based on NOTAM No. HO755/18. Airnav Indonesia Public Relations Manager, Yohanes Sirait said in Jakarta on Sunday that the flights currently using VFR (Visual Flight Rules) services could not be used instrumentally (Instrument Visual Rules).He explained, the opening for this commercial flight follows the previous process on which Mutiara SIS Airport Al Jufri, Palu had been opened for emergency flights, Search And Rescue –SAR, and humanity.AirNav Indonesia has sent personnel from Makassar and Balikpapan to ensure the flight navigation services at the airport in a bid to maximize the recovery process post-earthquake and tsunami.

The 2018 International Tour de Banyuwangi Ijen (ITdBI) event, which was held September 26-29, 2018, was appreciated by many stakeholders and increasingly prestigious for the Asian region. ITdBI Director Jamaluddin Mahmood said that the event, which has been held since 2012, is set with the quality of International level 2.2 bicycle racing, which has entered the routine agenda of the World Bicycle Racing Federation or Union Cycliste Internationale -UCI.Thus, it has an impact on the ease of inviting foreign teams.Jamaluddin also said that currently, ITdBI is classified as the best level 2.2 race. Level 2.2 is three levels below the World Tour Team, such as the Tour de France in France.ITdBI includes Asia's best 2.2 racing.Besides Banyuwangi, there are China, Japan, Hong Kong, Langkawi, and Kazakhstan.The best predicate was given because of the quality of the race.In addition, the audience was also enthusiastic, and the traffic wan well-managed. Jamaluddin is optimistic that foreign teams increasingly enlivened ITdBI. Banyuwangi Regent, Azwar Anas thanked for the support of various stakeholders for the implementation of ITdBI. From year to year, his team continues to improve. For him, ITdBI is not only a tourism event, but also part of consolidating infrastructure improvements and regional economic driver.