REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, KUPANG -- Tourism Minister Arief Yahya has called on the East Nusa Tenggara Governor to set up a Flores Tourism Authority to guard the 3As (Attraction, Access, and Amenity) concept needed for the development of Flores as a main tourism destination.

"Regarding tourism attractions, no one doubts the quality, uniqueness and greatness of the NTT with Komodo Dragon as its icon, as well as Laboan Bajo, Kalimutu in Ende, up to Alo and Suma and many other existing tourism potentials," the minister said in Labuan Bajo, the capital of West Manggarai District, Flores Island, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) recently.

Transportation Minister Ignatius Jonan has pledged to upgrade the status of Komodo Airport in Labuan Bajo to an international one, he added.

The airport's terminal capacity should be expanded to enable it to receive 500 thousand foreign tourists a year by 2019. Currently, the airport serves some 600 passengers a day.

The suggested Authority would also be in charge of making sure that Flores would have adequate hotel rooms and resorts to accommodate tourists.

Labuan Bajo in Flores is one of the 10 main tourist destinations, often referred to as the "New Bali," designated as such by the central government recently.

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