President wants tourism development efforts stepped up

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Indonesia`s tourism sector is not yet being developed optimally and therefore the efforts should be further expanded by involving all parties such as business associations and regional governments, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said here on Tuesday.

"Concrete actions have already been taken but in my opinion the tourism development effort should be continuously improved because it is not yet being done optimally," the president said at the opening of a national coordination meeting on tourism and culture at the State Palace here on Tuesday.

The head of state said conditions in the country`s tourism sector had continued to get worse since the economic crisis, and therefore it should be supported by other sectors such as transportation, security, infrastructure and cultural sectors.

"And then access to visa should not be made difficult. Regional infrastructure facitilities should be improved. Handicraft industry and security measures should also be stepped up," Yudhoyono said.

He added that the country`s tourism sector actually had bright prospects and had great potential to support the national economy because Indonesia had a lot of cultural and natural resources compared to other countries.

"What don`t we have in our country? Historical and cultural heritage objects we have in abundance," the president said, adding that they had to be preserved and protected.

According to the president, Indonesia`s geological conditions which were prone to disasters such as volcanic eruptions, hot mudflows and the like could be a special attraction to foreign tourists to visit the country.

"Let us be smart, creative and innovative because we have great potentials that must be developed for the welfare of the whole people," the president said.

About the cultural sector, Yudhoyono said it was the main pillar to realize a developed and prosperous nation because a developed nation should have a strong character and high technological innovations.

"They are all part of culture in a wider sense. If we want to be a developed and prosperous nation, we have to be independent and preserve our culture to be a self generating nation," the head of state said.