Papua is a region in Indonesia that is popular for its natural beauty and potential resources. However, despite its potential, many tourists overlook Papua due to a lack of infrastructure and marketing. Recently, the government tourism office Papua developing tourism potential in cities. The sole reason is not to waste all the potential already in front of us.
The government tourism office in Papua identifies several cities with high tourism potential. These cities include Jayapura, Biak, and Sorong. These cities have strategic locations and easy access.
Yimin Jeya, Head of the Culture and Tourism Office, said the program aligns with the DOB program. The DOB program itself is the new autonomous region in Papua. Tourism has great potential because they have more authority to develop their cities.
The government tourism office launches several initiatives to develop tourism potential in these cities. These initiatives include improving infrastructure, promoting local culture, and creating new tourist attractions.
The Focus of The Tourism Program
One of the main areas of focus for the tourism office is improving infrastructure. This includes upgrading airports and building new hotels and restaurants. Also, the government is improving road networks for better access. By improving Papua infrastructure, the tourism office hopes to make it easier for tourists to access the region. Hence it will improve the overall tourist experience.
Another important initiative is promoting local culture. Papua has rich and diverse cultures. It will be in vain if the tourism office does not recognize the importance of showcasing this to tourists. Hence to promote the culture, the region will showcase local art and crafts.
Also, Papua has traditional dances and music. By promoting local culture, the tourism office hopes to attract tourists interested in experiencing unique cultural experiences.
Promoting Papua culture and natural resources and making a tourist attraction is also the key point. Papua cannot rely on its natural resources and local culture.
The tourism office is working to identify new tourist attractions. After that, they will try to develop them sustainably and responsibly. For example, the tourism office in Sorong is developing a new marine park. The park will showcase the region’s stunning coral reefs and marine life.
All these attractions will need intensive promotion. Otherwise, both domestic and foreign tourists will not be able to see the offer. In addition to promotion, the tourism office is also working to promote the region through marketing and promotion.
The promotion includes working with travel agents and tour operators. In cooperation with them, they will try to develop tour packages. The tour packages will then be promoted through social media and digital advertisement.
The Impact of The Program
The impact of these initiatives has been significant. In Jayapura, for example, the tourism office works to promote the region’s natural attractions. It includes the stunning Lake Sentani and the Cyclops Mountains.
As a result, tourist arrivals increase significantly as they see the attractions worth visiting. Many new hotels and restaurants are also open to cater to the growing number of tourists.
Despite these successes, there are still challenges to developing tourism potential in Papua’s cities. One of the main challenges is the lack of awareness of the region among tourists.
Many tourists are unfamiliar with Papua and may be hesitant to visit due to concerns about safety or infrastructure. To address this, the tourism office is working to improve its marketing and promotion efforts to raise awareness of the region’s attractions and to assure tourists of their safety.
Overall, there may be obstacles to face ahead. However, with the government tourism office Papua developing tourism potential in cities, it hopes to attract more tourists. This, in turn, will help boost Papua’s economic condition.
