REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, LABUAN BAJO -- Indonesia will launch the new Golo Mori tourism zone at Labuan Bajo, Nusa Tenggara Barat (NTB). President Director of Indonesia Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC) Ari Respati explained, this project is one of the five super priority destinations as goverment's effort to accelerate new sources of economic growth.

Led by Menko Marves ad Interim Erick Thohir, ITDC was asked to draft a concept. The plan directs Golo Mori into a new special economic area (KEK), namely the tourism KEK. ITDC has had the Golo Mori Convention Center (GMCC) which was inaugurated on Wednesday (6/12/2023) by Erick. This GMCC area will become a new KEK.

Why is it to be a new special tourism zone?

Ari stated this refers to other KEK formation experiences, although he admitted that not all KEK had satisfactory results. A successful example of Mandalika having a good impact on the economy.

“Based on that experience, if KEK is managed well, it will be good,” Ari told Republika after the discussion of five super priority tourism destinations, in Labuan Bajo, East Nusa Tenggara, Wednesday (6/12/2023) afternoon.

However, of course, according to Ari, each KEK is not managed with the same strategy because the challenges faced are also different.

Then, what distinguishes this tourism KEK from others?

This KEK, explains Ari, will also become a carbon player. So, ITDC invited the Ministry of Environment and Forestry as co-management of the area, due to generate good carbon values at resort and forest.

Currently, the GMCC area owned by ITDC is only 20 hectares. Therefore, Ari said, instructions from the authorities if ITDC can get the most land area.

“If you look at the Mandalika area, the area is up to 1,000 hectares,” he said.

ITDC is trying to expand the area leading to an area of up to 1,000 hectares. However, he said it was impossible for him to use all of the area as a resort, it must also be preserved to be a good forest environment.

Thus, the immediate step that ITDC will take is to perform calibration. That is, previously it was decided in the councils, ITDC already has a masterplan of 20 hectares of its property, so there is a calibration after there is a verdict from the national collaboration meeting.

Calibration aside, a year ahead ITDC will have to talk to privates as most land owners are. Different from Mandalika which has 1,000 hectares of government.

"A year ahead, we're not just calibrating the masterplan as well as consignment to the landowners," he explained.

Ari stated that the move was accompanied by the formation of a new KEK team that formulatedds the draft. It will be tested first, studied, and a discussion forum will be created. The steps are long. So over the course of two years this is a process of calibrating the masterplan.

Secondly, Ari stated that the most important thing for ITDC is to open a communication forum with private individuals because it can be a larger portion of them. Thirdly, it is also important to establish talks with the community because in addition to private land ownership there are communities.

But now, he said, the closest task is how to manage a financially sustainable GMCC.

“We're still at least offering to be a convention. Under it is a resort, and we want to find investors to speed up the resort," he said.

For example, there is the construction of a hotel at the nearby site of GMCC. If you are confused after holding a meeting at GMCC, you have to go downstairs. Another story if a hotel appears close to GMCC. Also, it was tried to form an alignment with pinisi boat entrepreneurs.

The goal, for this GMCC to be their place of transit. ITDC's pier facilities can be boarding hubs. In essence, Ari explained, GMCC's operating costs should be covered by income from GMCC, as the company has to do that.

Several steps can be taken to improve the organization of events at GMCC. Among these, Ari said, was carrying out a branding strategy by building partnerships with Labuan Bajo's maintainers.

“The marketing has to be tight,” he said.

Previously, Minister Marves Ad Interim Erick Thohir wanted Golo Mori in Labuan Bajo, West Manggarai Regency, East Nusa Tenggara to become a new comprehensive special economic area (KEK).

The meaning, he said, is that the development of the Golo Mori tourism area must pay attention to the surrounding environment. Especially being in the buffer zone of Komodo dragon conservation. According to him, tourism development cannot destroy nature conservation.

Nor, he said, tourist development does not bring the surrounding community to grow.

“This Golo Mori has to be a comprehensive KEK,” Erick said after the inauguration of the Golo Mori Convention Center (GMCC) in Labuan Bajo on Wednesday (6/12/2023).

According to Erick, in this region there are forests, the people of the area that must be respected that are part of the development.

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