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Lombok touts sustainable homestay tourism
Tasked with accommodating as many as 150,000 people for MotoGP races from 2021, deputy regent of Central Lombok H.L. Pathul Bahri announced a big push to develop the village homestay economy.
Addressing APGN delegates from the UNESCO geoparks community, conservation experts and tourism stakeholders recently, Pathul said Lombok’s carrying capacity is currently only about 80,000 with neighbouring Bali likely to take the overflow.
This is a key measure to spread the tourism wealth and involve rural communities in a more meaningful way in Lombok’s top industry.
Central Lombok’s Mandalika integrated tourism development, which is situated adjacent to where the MotoGP hybrid road/racetrack is being constructed, is one of Indonesia’s four destinations being fast-tracked for development to help disperse tourism away from Bali to the regions.
However, the region has very few accommodation options elsewhere, despite having a host of natural attractions, such as waterfalls, extensive trekking on the southern slopes of Mount Rinjani and traditional ‘Sasak’ villages.
With all these attractions generating growing numbers of daytrippers, the MotoGP is the impetus needed to expedite development of the green economy and a large network of rural homestays.
The MotoGP race is by far Lombok’s most important sports event and it is committed to making it a success. Big infrastructure upgrades are underway including a new highway direct to the circuit from Lombok Airport and the designation of nearby Awang Harbour as a marine tourism port.
The push to develop homestays comes on the back of a cooperation agreement on homestay financing signed by the tourism ministry and lender PT Sarana Multigirya Finansial in Kuta, Central Lombok last month.
The homestay financing program is being overseen by the Tourism Village Homestay Development Acceleration Team at the ministry which will help disperse low-interest loans for building or converting rural homestays.
Around 150 delegates from more than 30 nations from the 6th Asia Pacific Geoparks Network (APGN) symposium were welcomed to the village of Aik Berik by Pathul for a day-long field trip exploring the area’s famed waterfalls and traditional culture.
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