REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- Tourism minister Arief Yahya has hailed plans to revive the port of Ampenan in Mataram, West Nusa Tenggara, as a tourism port to ease foreign tourists' arrival to the region from Bali.

"Lombok will be livelier," he said in a statement here on Sunday with regard to the idea of reviving the old port.

The port of Ampenan was the first port on the island of Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara, and has been in existence since the Dutch colonial time with dozens of old buildings standing on the coastal area.

An investor from Bali has expressed readiness to build the port and mayor of Mataram Ahyar Abduh said the investor plans to carry out the development this year.

He said there are a lot of foreign tourists joining cruise ships who have expressed interest to visit a number of destinations in Lombok.

Ampenan is considered a suitable destination because it would only take an hour to reach it by boat from Karang Asem in Bali compared with five hours from Padangbae in Bali to Lembar in West Nusa Tenggara.

The demand from foreign tourists in cruise ships especially from Europe to visit Lombok is very high making investors interested to build Ampenan. "The area is considered very ideal for big cruise ships to call at," Ahyar Anduh said.

Ampenan indeed used to be a port before it was moved to Lembar in West Lombok.

Entering Ampenan and setting foot in the old city one would feel being taken for nostalgic tour of an ancient city with old buildings with old architecture spreading in it witnessing the past glory of the port as well as an economic as well as trade center.

The Mataram city government also supports the plan to revive the port based on a concept for tourism, he said.

Ikuti Whatsapp Channel Republika