Balikpapan, March 12, 2018 - To support the development of integrated tourism potential in East Kalimantan Province, Angkasa Pura Airports branch office of Sultan Aji Muhammad Sulaiman (SAMS) Sepinggan Airport Balikpapan carried out a Collaborative Destination Development (FDD) focus group discussion (CDD): Elevating East Borneo as Eco Tourism Destination with East Kalimantan Provincial Government, Airlines representative, and Travel & Tourism business actor on Monday (12/3) at Platinum Hotel, Balikpapan.
CDD was a program initiated by Angkasa Pura Airports since 2015 in the form of collaboration forums of various stakeholders of regional tourism industry to jointly develop the tourism sector and carry out tourism services in the work area of Angkasa Pura Airports and especially in East Kalimantan Province. This effort was made to assist the government in achieving the target of foreign tourist visit nationally of 20 million people in 2019 to be able to give positive contribution to the development of regional economy.
"In the last 5 years (2013-2017) the growth of passengers at SAMS Sepinggan Airport grew by an average of 2.5%, while cargo averaged 1.4% and moves on average minus 1.2%. Throughout 2017 SAMS Sepinggan Balikpapan Airport has served 7.43 million passengers while the number of aircraft moves reached 67,000 moves and cargo reached 54.6 million kg," said by Faik Fahmi, President Director of Angkasa Pura Airports.
"The East Kalimantan government is targeting 10 million tourists by 2018. If we are able to collaborate between airline programs, central and regional government programs, tourism industry players and programs initiated by Angkasa Pura Airports as airport managers, we are optimistic that we can help meet those targets. One of our programs is to provide 50% landing fee incentive for 6 months and free promotion fee at airport for 1 month to stimulate airline to open new route from and to Balikpapan," added by Faik Fahmi.
In addition to tourism potential that can be developed, Balikpapan itself has the potential on Umroh flights. Throughout the year 2017 there are 8,252 pilgrims have been dispatched to the Holy Land via SAMS Sepinggan Airport Balikpapan or increased 51% when compared to the year 2016 that dispatch 5,431 worshipers. In 2018, Umroh flights were planned to be conducted 2 times a week so that predicted 35,200 East Kalimantan Umroh pilgrims can be departed from the city of Balikpapan.
"With the good synergy and collaboration between Angkasa Pura Airports as the gateway manager of tourists, airlines, tourism industry actors, and the central and regional governments, it is expected that the development of tourism industry in East Kalimantan Province will accelerate faster so that it positively impact the increase of provincial economic growth East Kalimantan," Faik said.
In this First CDD event in Balikapapan was also attended by East Kalimantan Provincial Governor Awang Faroek Ishak, Accessibility Experts Robert Daniel Waloni as Speaker and Mayor of Samarinda Syaharie Jaang, Mayor of Balikpapan Rizal Effendi, to Bappeda East Kalimantan Zairin Zain, Director General of Ministry Environment & Forestry Wiratno, Chairman of DPD ASITA East Kalimantan Syarifudin Tangalindo and President Director of PT Citilink Indonesia Juliandra Nurtjahjo as Panelists.
