VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

VOInews, Nabire: New whale sharks were found in the waters of Cendrawasih Bay National Park near Nabire Regency, Central Papua, It was found during joint monitoring by Pertamina International Shipping (PIS), a subsidiary of state-run energy company Pertamina, and the Indonesian Ministry of Environment and Forestry.

Balon udara terlihat di Cappadocia, Nevsehir, Türki pada 5 Mei 2024.  (Photo by: ANTARA/Xinhua/Mustafa Kaya).

VOINews, Jakarta: After experiencing a successful year in 2023, Turkey is ambitious to become one of the top three tourist destinations in the world by 2028.

As reported by Antara, The Minister of Culture and Tourism, Mehmet Nuri Ersoy, stated that "Turkey aims to attract 80 million international tourists per year over the next four years. Currently, Turkey ranks fourth,".

This ambitious plan is crucial for Turkey's economy, which heavily relies on tourism revenue. Every year, millions of international tourists provide significant income for the country amid challenging economic conditions.

Kaan Sahinalp, Turkey's representative for the German travel company TUI, stated that "although this target is achievable, there is still much work to be done." According to him, Turkey needs to diversify its tourism promotions by showcasing its cultural and gastronomic richness in addition to beach tourism.

Stakeholders from both the government and private sectors in Turkey must collaborate to achieve the 2028 tourism target. Kaan Sahinalp emphasized the importance of improving pricing policies due to intense competition in the Mediterranean. Sustainability is also crucial, and Murat Toktas from the Turkish Federation of Hotel Owners suggested focusing on the luxury travel industry to boost revenue.

In 2023, Turkey's tourism sector recorded a milestone of 49.2 million international tourist visits, generating over 54 billion USD. The government expects this year's visits to reach 60 million with revenue of 60 billion USD, and targets 80 million visits and 100 billion USD in revenue by 2028.

However, significant price increases at Turkish resorts have attracted negative attention. Sahinalp warned that excessive price hikes could harm the tourism sector. Toktas added that attracting wealthy tourists to destinations such as Antalya and Bodrum, as well as diversifying markets to Southeast Asia, is essential for ensuring sustainable growth.

Toktas is optimistic that if conditions remain stable, Turkey is on the right track to achieve its goal of becoming one of the top three tourist destinations in the world by 2028.//Antara/VOI

Ilustrasi Photo by : AntaraNews

VOINews, Jakarta: U.S. National Security Council official Pranay Vaddi highlighted the rapid acceleration of nuclear arsenal expansion by North Korea, China, and Russia.

As reported by Antara According to Vaddi, "North Korea, China, and Russia are rapidly expanding and diversifying their nuclear weapons stockpiles, displaying little to no interest in arms control measures," as reported by Yonhap on Saturday.

Serving as the Senior Director for Arms Control, Disarmament, and Nonproliferation at the National Security Council, Vaddi noted that these countries' actions are compelling the United States and its allies to brace for an unrestrained nuclear arms competition.

He further stated, "The increased collaboration and coordination among these three nations, along with Iran, are creating dynamics that threaten peace and stability, posing risks to the United States, its allies, and partners, while aggravating regional tensions."

Vaddi emphasized that in response to the evolving nuclear landscape, President Joe Biden has recently issued updated nuclear weapons usage guidelines.

"This move underscores our commitment to utilizing arms control and other strategies to minimize the necessary number of nuclear weapons to meet U.S. objectives," he explained.

Vaddi cautioned that the U.S. must adapt its stance and capabilities to counter the growing threats from these countries, should there be no shift in their current nuclear policies.

He clarified, "Should adversaries' nuclear arsenals remain unchanged, we may find it necessary to increase the number of deployed weapons in the coming years."

Moreover, he underscored that Washington has proactively implemented "prudent" measures, including the development of modern versions of the B61 nuclear gravity bomb and efforts to extend the operational life of certain Ohio-class ballistic missile submarines during the transition to advanced capabilities.

He concluded by affirming that the U.S. is fully committed to ensuring its "extended deterrence" pledge, which involves leveraging its comprehensive military capabilities, including nuclear, to defend its allies and contribute to global nonproliferation efforts.//Antara/VOI.

Vice President Ma'ruf Amin (left).  (Photo by: ANTARA/Dokumentasi BPMI Setwapres)

VOINews, Jakarta: Vice President Ma'ruf Amin thanked Saudi Arabia for always working to make things better for Hajj pilgrims.

As reported by Antara, Amin expressed his admiration during an interview with Al Arabiya News Channel on May 7, which was later broadcast on his secretariat's YouTube channel.

"I would like to praise the Saudi Arabian government for granting us additional pilgrim quotas for this year and properly preparing services, including the swift process of visa issuance," he noted in a press release cited here on Saturday.

However, the vice president drew attention to the fact that Indonesia is still in need of an even higher number of quotas, as some of its prospective pilgrims had to wait for decades to finally perform the pilgrimage.

"More quotas will cut the waiting time, though only by several years," he stated.

Amin also commended the well-maintained coordination between Indonesia and Saudi Arabia, noting that the Saudi Hajj and Umrah minister had acknowledged Indonesia's capability of administering the handling of its pilgrims.

"We still have room for improvements because Hajj pilgrimage is a matter of transporting (a host of) people in a short period of time. I believe we are still facing brand new issues. Hence, we need to work to prevent the emergence of such issues next year," he affirmed.

The vice president then drew attention to Medina, praising the holy city's rapid progress in the development of supporting infrastructure and facilities for Hajj pilgrimage.

"In my view, Medina's development stands among the world's fastest. The city has continued to improve, including by constructing more hotels, which in turn provide a higher level of convenience to pilgrims," he highlighted.

Amin also praised the efficient and well-run air transportation services offered by the airports in Medina and Jeddah that can handle an aircraft landing once every five minutes.

"Serving an enormous number of Hajj pilgrims is no easy task. Hence, thumbs up to the Saudi Arabian government for consistently making improvements in Hajj services every year," he concluded.//Antara/VOI