VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

The Mandalika Special Economic Zone (SEZ) is now among the world-class sports tourism destinations, Deputy Minister of State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) Kartika Wirjoatmodjo has said.

"The Mandalika zone is in a very good stage. Most MotoGP fans can recognize Mandalika, and we are seeing an improvement in the flow of international and domestic tourists," he expounded at a MotoGP press conference here on Tuesday.

He said both domestic and foreign tourists now recognize Mandalika, which is located in Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara, due to its selection as the venue for the World Superbike and MotoGP events.

Other national and international sports events, such as the Shell Eco Marathon, the L'Etape cycling race, the TNI Marathon, and several water sports activities were also held at Mandalika.

In addition, the deputy minister said Mandalika has a number of marine tourism attractions such as stunning beaches, and it also offers underwater tourism.

He noted that the increasingly popular Mandalika SEZ is supported by good infrastructure, such as roads, transportation, hotels, and restaurants.

He said all stakeholders, including the government, tourism attraction management officials, investors, and locals, have supported efforts to boost the area's popularity.

"Hopefully, the MotoGP will be a catalyst to build sports tourism destinations and provide economic benefits for the community, especially in West Nusa Tenggara," he added.

On the same occasion, President Director of state-owned Indonesia Tourism Development Center (ITDC) Ari Respati said that his side is focusing on building Mandalika as a sports tourism destination through efforts such as holding the MotoGP Mandalika 2023 event.

"The MotoGP event in Mandalika turned out to be an icon and pride of the locals. This is proof of succeeding the government's mandate," he said.

He also emphasized that ITDC, as a part of the state-owned holding, InJourney, is developing Mandalika in a sustainable manner.

(Antara News)