More than 6 million tourists visited Bali last year, and Indonesian President Joko Widodo has an ambitious plan to boost tourism and create “10 new Balis” in order to diversify Southeast Asia’s largest economy, including a boost to promote its Wonder of the Natural World, the Komodo Island.
Key to the plan is to upgrade provincial airports and improve access to outlying destinations, such as Lake Toba on Sumatra island, more than 800 miles from Jakarta, the capital.
Local museums, including two royal palaces and a former Dutch fort, pose a challenge for foreign visitors eager to learn more about local history and culture because they mostly lack easily accessible explanations in English.
Hiramsyah Thaib, who heads the “10 New Balis” initiative, acknowledged that there is room for improvement. He said Indonesia is determined to catch up to other Asian nations, including Thailand, which he said began developing their tourism industries much sooner.