VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Four tourist locations namely Lake Toba in North Sumatra, Mandalika (West Nusa Tenggara), Borobudur (Central Java) and Labuan Bajo (East Nusa Tenggara) could be developed by 2020, Tourism Minister Arief Yahya has said. "There are four super priority locations namely Lake Toba, Mandalika, Labuan Bajo and Borobudur. By 2020 all infrastructure and basic utilities must be completed for attraction, access, and amenity," Yahya said after a closed-door meeting on the development of priority tourist destinations led by President Joko Widodo in Jakarta Monday.

The meeting was also attended by Vice President Jusuf Kalla, cabinet ministers, East Nusa Tenggara Governor Viktor Laiskodat, West Nusa Tenggara Governor Zulkieflimansyah, North Sulawesi Governor Olly Dondokambey, North Sumatra Governor Edy Rahmayadi and Central Java Governor Ganjar Pranowo.

"Lake Toba for instance, has been named by the UNESCO as Global Geo-Park. Access to Silangit airport would be improved. There is a toll road from Kualanamu (airport) to Lake Toba, and there is an investment of Rp6 trillion in 2020," the minister remarked.

Development in infrastructure will also be followed by efforts to improve the public mindset to serve tourists, North Sumatra Governor Edy Rahmayadi said.

Mandalika will be hosting the MotoGP, in 2021, which is a major event on the racing calendar, West Nusa Tenggara Governor Zulkieflimansyah said.

"Many friends have asked me whether it is possible to build a circuit quickly. In fact, we did not design a circuit, but like in Singapore and Monaco, we can use a public road as a circuit. The development will be started in October this year and is planned to be finished next year," he said.

Mandalika also has the potential to host Formula 1 racing events, the governor believes.

"The president has asked the directors of Indonesia Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC) to prepare the possibility of using the MotoGP circuit to host Formula 1 races. Hence we will also have to prepare for the arrival of tourists. Since June 9 there is a direct flight from Perth to Lombok, and hopefully we can also open a direct flight from Darwin, Melbourne, and Sydney for tourism," he said.

Meanwhile, the Borobudur management has created some important agenda such as the annual Borobudur Marathon, to attract more tourists, Central Java Governor Ganjar Pranowo said.

All hotels in the region have been fully booked for the event that will be held in November 2019, he claimed.

He has also invited residents who have 1to 2 rooms with minimum international standards to accommodate tourists during the event, Ganjar said.

East Nusa Tenggara province is a rich and attractive tourist destination, including the Komodo dragon, Governor Viktor Laiskodat said. (ANTARA)

The South Halmahera district administration has declared a seven-day emergency response period on July 15-21 after a 7.2-magnitude earthquake hit the region on Sunday.

National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) spokesperson Agus Wibowo informed the press here on Monday that the quake had claimed the lives of two people respectively from Gane Luar Village and Papaceda Village.

Over two thousand people sought refuge in 14 shelters, and 58 houses and two bridges were damaged, he revealed.

"We are still collecting data on the number of victims and the extent of damage," he remarked.

The earthquake, measuring 7.2 on the Richter Scale, rocked North Maluku, on Sunday at 6:28 p.m. local time, forcing local residents to flee their homes in panic. The tremor did not have the potential to trigger a tsunami.

The quake's epicenter was located at 0.59-degree southern latitude and 128.06-degree eastern longitude, some 62 km northeast of Labuha, North Maluku, and at a depth of 10 km below sea level, according to information on the website of the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) on Sunday.

Residents of the Labuha coastal area, the capital of South Halmahera District, immediately headed to higher ground once the tremor occurred, as they feared a tsunami.

Until 7 a.m. local time on Monday, the authority had recorded 65 aftershocks that the BMKG claimed were sparked by horizontal rock deformation. (ANTARA)

A magnitude-7.2 earthquake that hit South Halmahera District, North Maluku Province, on Sunday evening, claimed two lives and displaced 1,104 people.

"The two fatalities are respectively, Aisyah, 51, from Gane Luar, and Halimah from Papaceda Village, Gane Barat Sub-district," Ali Yau, secretary of the North Maluku Disaster Mitigation Office (BPBD), stated in Ternate, North Maluku, on Monday.

The displaced people are being accommodated at nine locations in Gane Barat, Gane Timur, and Bacan Timur.

Yau noted that his office had deployed personnel to evaluate the condition in several villages in Gane Barat after the powerful earthquake struck.

The Ternate military command 152/Babullah had also deployed a platoon of personnel to secure South Halmahera.

In Lemo-Lemo Village, 300 people were displaced, as their homes collapsed following the tremor.

In Ranga-Ranga, 800 villagers are seeking refuge in a hilly area over fears of an ensuing tsunami.

In the Nyonyifi coastal village, several houses and small piers incurred serious damage, though no casualties were reported.

The earthquake, measuring 7.2 on the Richter Scale, rocked North Maluku, on Sunday at 6:28 p.m. local time, forcing local residents to flee their homes in panic. The tremor did not have the potential to trigger a tsunami.

The quake's epicenter was located at 0.59-degree southern latitude and 128.06-degree eastern longitude, some 62 km northeast of Labuha, North Maluku, and at a depth of 10 km below sea level, according to information on the website of the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) on Sunday.

Residents of the Labuha coastal area, the capital of South Halmahera District, immediately headed to higher ground once the tremor occurred, as they feared a tsunami.

Kustoro, head of the Ternate meteorology, climatology, and geophysics office, noted that the earthquake did not have the potential to trigger a consequent tsunami.

Labuha's residents felt the tremor of modified mercalli intensity (MMI) IV-V. The residents of Ternate, Tidore Islands, Central Halmahera, Ambon in Maluku Province, and also Bitung, North Sulawesi, felt the earthquake.  (ANTARA)

A magnitude-7.2 earthquake that hit South Halmahera District, North Maluku Province, on Sunday evening, claimed two lives and displaced 1,104 people.

"The two fatalities are respectively, Aisyah, 51, from Gane Luar, and Halimah from Papaceda Village, Gane Barat Sub-district," Ali Yau, secretary of the North Maluku Disaster Mitigation Office (BPBD), stated in Ternate, North Maluku, on Monday.

The displaced people are being accommodated at nine locations in Gane Barat, Gane Timur, and Bacan Timur.

Yau noted that his office had deployed personnel to evaluate the condition in several villages in Gane Barat after the powerful earthquake struck.

The Ternate military command 152/Babullah had also deployed a platoon of personnel to secure South Halmahera.

In Lemo-Lemo Village, 300 people were displaced, as their homes collapsed following the tremor.

In Ranga-Ranga, 800 villagers are seeking refuge in a hilly area over fears of an ensuing tsunami.

In the Nyonyifi coastal village, several houses and small piers incurred serious damage, though no casualties were reported.

The earthquake, measuring 7.2 on the Richter Scale, rocked North Maluku, on Sunday at 6:28 p.m. local time, forcing local residents to flee their homes in panic. The tremor did not have the potential to trigger a tsunami.

The quake's epicenter was located at 0.59-degree southern latitude and 128.06-degree eastern longitude, some 62 km northeast of Labuha, North Maluku, and at a depth of 10 km below sea level, according to information on the website of the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) on Sunday.

Residents of the Labuha coastal area, the capital of South Halmahera District, immediately headed to higher ground once the tremor occurred, as they feared a tsunami.

Kustoro, head of the Ternate meteorology, climatology, and geophysics office, noted that the earthquake did not have the potential to trigger a consequent tsunami.

Labuha's residents felt the tremor of modified mercalli intensity (MMI) IV-V. The residents of Ternate, Tidore Islands, Central Halmahera, Ambon in Maluku Province, and also Bitung, North Sulawesi, felt the earthquake.  (ANTARA)