Villagers in Lombok need to have a better awareness
CategoriesNews By Discovering Lombok

Villagers in Lombok need to have a better awareness of their surroundings

JAKARTA: Indonesian villagers need to have better awareness of their surrounding attractions so they are able to promote and support tourism development in regions they come from.

Tourism and Creative Economy minister, Sandiaga Uno, made the appeal when attending the Tourism Awareness Dissemination in Senteluk Village in West Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara, reported Antara news.

In a statement on Sunday, he said the awareness among the local and regional communities, would eventually become part of the tourism and creative economy ecosystem’s strength.

“Later, investors will come on their own to develop homestay with local residents and produce creative economy products, hence automatically the number of tourists will rise,” he added.

Sandiaga said tourism awareness is expected to be able to form a mindset within the people so that they can become an active player within the development of tourism in their regions.

The awareness programme event was also held in four other villages: Pusuk Lestari in West Lombok, Gili Indah, Medana, and Jerowaru in North Lombok.

Sandiaga said the event is a government effort to improve the economy, create as many employment opportunities as possible, and raise awareness toward the tourism potential in the regions.

This is important especially since there is a number of major events to be held in West Nusa Tenggara such as MotoGP Mandalika, Pesona Senggigi, and Motor Cross Grand Prix (MXGP)

CategoriesNews By Discovering Lombok

Busy at Lombok Airport during MOTO GP

The Zainuddin Abdul Madjid Lombok International Airport recorded a 74% increase in passenger traffic in Q1 of 2022 compared to Q1 2021.

As reported by Beritabali.com, 430,080 domestic and international air passengers flew via The Lombok International Airport during the period January-March 2022, while only 247,263 passengers passed through the airport in the same period one year before. 

In a press statement on Saturday, 02 April 2022, the General Manager of the Lombok International Airport, Nugroho Jati, said: “Aircraft movements (during Q1 2022) also increased. From 3,186 flights in Q1 2021, 4,125 flights were operating from Lombok’s airport in Q1 2022, increasing 29%.”

The increase in passengers handled and flight movements recorded were affected by the inaugural MotoGP 2022 held at the newly opened Mandalika Race Circuit in March 2022. Traffic through the Lombok air gateway surged in March compared to the volume measured in January and February 2022. In January 2022, around 126,00 passengers passed through the airport, with only 103,000 passengers recorded in February 2022. 

Meanwhile, in March 2022, the number of passengers rose dramatically to more than 200,000. In March, an average of 6,000 daily passengers used the airport, while in the January-February period, the average number of passengers was around 4,000. 

Airport management in Lombok remains hopeful that passenger numbers at the new and modern Lombok International Airport will remain strong as tourism in Indonesia continues to grow and the government deregulates passenger movements. 

The MotoGP 2022 Event held on 18-20 March 2022 at the brand new Mandalika Race Circuit saw an average of 18,000 passengers use the Lombok air gateway between 17 and 23 March 2022. In the same period, 98 daily aircraft movements were recorded to handle the influx of race spectators and participants. 

The peak in passenger arrivals was recorded on 18 March 2022, when 8,900 passengers landed in Lombok. The peak day for departures occurred on 21 March 2022, when 11,000 passengers flew out of Lombok.

In connection with the MotoGP 2022, The Lombok International Airport welcomed five cargo flights on 09 March and 11 March, carrying motorcycles and logistical support for the international race event. The five cargo Qatar Airways Aircraft flew in from Doha, Qatar, carrying 404 tons of freight.