Torut, South Sulawesi (ANTARA Sulsel) - The districts of Toraja and North Toraja in South Sulawesi need to improve infrastructures to support their tourism development, a minister said.
"This is our common homework how to improve the infrastructures. I see there are many damaged roads in a number of tourist destinations in Toraja and North Toraja districts that need to be repaired," Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy Mari Elka Pangestu said here over the weekend.
The minister was there to open the 6th Lovely December and Toraja International Festival 2013 in North Toraja over the weekend.
She said that Toraja had been named as a national strategic tourism destination but many roads to the tourist areas were damaged.
Further, all sides must also pay attention to the condition of the Toraja new airport. "I have realized my commitment to coming here but in essence I still have commitment that has to be carried out together with the Ministry of Communications, the Ministry of Public Works and other ministries," she said.
"We have commitment to jointly developing Toraja as a tourism district to maintain the sustainability of the local socio-economic cultures so that the local tourism will thrive and empower local people," the minister said.
She said that the Lovely December event had been held for the sixth time and it should be developed further to make it festive every year and attract many visitors.
The minister said that the government had the commitment to making Toraja the second major tourist destination in the country after the tourist resort province of Bali.
It should serve as an international tourist destination which attracts both domestic and foreign tourists.
"We hope that in 2014 coinciding with the 70th anniversary of Indonesia`s independence Toraja would be promoted to the world. We have high commitment to promoting Toraja as one of the international tourism destinations outside Bali," she said.
South Sulawesi Governor Syahrul Yasin Limpo said meanwhile that the development of the Toraja new airport must be accelerated and matters relating to land clearance should not become a problem.
"I hope large two propeller aircraft will have been able to land at Taraja new airport in 2014. I want that the airport is already completed before the United Indonesia Cabinet II ended their term next year (2014)," the governor said. A Abdussalm
"This is our common homework how to improve the infrastructures. I see there are many damaged roads in a number of tourist destinations in Toraja and North Toraja districts that need to be repaired," Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy Mari Elka Pangestu said here over the weekend.
The minister was there to open the 6th Lovely December and Toraja International Festival 2013 in North Toraja over the weekend.
She said that Toraja had been named as a national strategic tourism destination but many roads to the tourist areas were damaged.
Further, all sides must also pay attention to the condition of the Toraja new airport. "I have realized my commitment to coming here but in essence I still have commitment that has to be carried out together with the Ministry of Communications, the Ministry of Public Works and other ministries," she said.
"We have commitment to jointly developing Toraja as a tourism district to maintain the sustainability of the local socio-economic cultures so that the local tourism will thrive and empower local people," the minister said.
She said that the Lovely December event had been held for the sixth time and it should be developed further to make it festive every year and attract many visitors.
The minister said that the government had the commitment to making Toraja the second major tourist destination in the country after the tourist resort province of Bali.
It should serve as an international tourist destination which attracts both domestic and foreign tourists.
"We hope that in 2014 coinciding with the 70th anniversary of Indonesia`s independence Toraja would be promoted to the world. We have high commitment to promoting Toraja as one of the international tourism destinations outside Bali," she said.
South Sulawesi Governor Syahrul Yasin Limpo said meanwhile that the development of the Toraja new airport must be accelerated and matters relating to land clearance should not become a problem.
"I hope large two propeller aircraft will have been able to land at Taraja new airport in 2014. I want that the airport is already completed before the United Indonesia Cabinet II ended their term next year (2014)," the governor said. A Abdussalm