#Indonesia - Riau Islands province ranks second after Bali as most-visited destination for foreign tourists

Riau Islands ranked second after Bali as Indonesia’s most-visited destination for foreign tourists with over 2.5 million international visitors in 2019, making it one of the most crucial hubs for the government’s ongoing efforts to bolster tourism in cross-border regions.

Riau Islands acting governor Isdianto said the total number of foreign visitors recorded last year surpassed the target of 2.3 million originally established in the region’s medium-term development plan (RPJMD).

“I am optimistic that tourism will count among the main sources of income for Riau Islands in the near future, alongside fisheries and agriculture,” Isdianto told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday.

He said the majority of foreign tourists visiting throughout 2019 mostly consisted of those from neighboring Singapore and Malaysia. The province welcomed an influx of international visitors from the two countries last year, he added.

“We expect the number of foreign tourists visiting Riau Islands in 2021 to surpass that in Bali,” Isdianto said.

He went on to say that the local administration had taken several measures to maintain and improve the province’s currently positive performance in tourism, such as teaming up with more private firms to organize events that appealed to foreign visitors, as well as adding more tourist amenities and infrastructure to ensure their convenience.

“We aim to increase the budget for tourism. We already have around 100 tourist events planned this year,” Isdianto said, adding that sports tourism had been a major attraction for foreign tourists, alongside culinary events.

Five of the 100 events expected to bolster tourism in Riau Islands this year are included in the Tourism Ministry’s 2020 Calendar of Events. The five major events are the Bintan Iron Man 70.3, Bintan Triathlon, Tour de Bintan, Kenduri Seni Melayu and Penyengat Island Festival.

“We will make Penyengat Island more attractive to foreign tourists. The island is home to a wealth of Malay cultural legacy,” Isdianto said.

Data from the ministry show that Bali, Riau Islands and Jakarta were the three biggest contributors of foreign tourists to the country throughout 2019. Bali ranked first with the most international visitors (38.47 percent), followed by Riau Islands (17.37 percent) and Jakarta (15.21 percent) in second and third places, respectively.

Indonesian Tour and Travel Agency Association (ASITA) chairman Andika Lim said the fact that 80 percent of foreign tourists visiting Batam and other parts of Riau Islands were from Singapore could be attributed to the accessible transportation options and accommodations between the two neighboring regions.

The association has also noticed a behavioral pattern among foreign tourists in Batam as they tend to visit the region on multiple occasions, indicating the region’s strong appeal.

“[Tourists] are more likely to visit a destination multiple times if they are attracted to the culinary aspect of the region. Local cuisine could entice them to visit a destination over and over again,” Andika said.

Source - TheJakartaPost

Nai Thon beach, #Phuket #Thailand

Nai thon Beach is one of these little known beaches on the west coast of Phuket,

far from the crowded areas such as Patong Beach or Kata Beach.

People coming here are searching for a peaceful place

with just enough facilities and hotels not to feel too remote.

Phuket being such a small island you always can rent a car

and drive to Patong for a fun night out or further south for a discovery day.

The beach is an amazing long and wide strip well shaded by tall trees

and divided in two by a small rock formation.

Walk beyond these rocks to reach a more private area of Nai thon.

The sand is smooth and swimming is great during high season. Loungers, umbrellas

and drinks are available as well as several small restaurants.

Some of them start to look trendy, a sign of increasing popularity

and already new hotels are building nearby such as Pullman.

No Jetskies  or parasailing in sight yet, only few long tails boats bobbing here

and there and beach vendors are still discreet.

parking your car is easy in the shade of trees anywhere along the beach.

Across the road are few more bars, restaurants, a mini mart and even a tailor and a dive shop.

This is definitely a high season kind of beach, it looks

and feels quite abandoned during low season

and swimming is not recommended (July to November)

The easiest way to reach there is to drive to the airport

and turn left at the T intersection just before reaching it,

then drive few kilometers and turn right at the signs pointing to ‘Andaman White Beach Resort’

and Trisara Phuket Resort. The closest beach, not to miss,

is the secret Banana Beach, just 3 kilometers away.

The Banana Beach, #Phuket

Banana Beach in Phuket – Phuket is a world famous holiday destination and every corner

of this tiny tropical island has been explored, invaded, sold, developed and exploited.

Yet the tiny Banana beach is hiding itself from the crowd, but it won’t last long.

Considering that Banana Beach is pretty large with shallow clear blue waters,

large palm trees and an excellent sand quality,

it is a mystery why it hasn’t been developed like the rest of the island.

It’s not totally deserted though, a restaurant has been there

as long as I can remember… which is almost two decades.

 They can serve you a great seafood lunch, probably caught no far from here.

Price is a bit higher than other restaurants,

but once you see them carrying everything down the hill,

you’ll forgive them.  Added to that, there are not many places in Phuket

where you still can have a peaceful lunch on the beach

with your feet in the sand in the shade of coconut trees!

 

 Banana Beach is pretty hard to find if you don’t know where to look.

Just finding the road passing by its entrance is tricky for most visitors.

The best way is to go to the airport, and when you are almost there,

at the T-junction turn left instead of right as you would for Phuket Airport.

Drive 2 or 3 km, then take the intersection on the right and follow the signs to Naithon Beach.

If you are lucky or if you planned well, it will be low tide, sky will be spotless

and Banana Beach will then take its full spend our.

Such a great place to spend an afternoon, swimming is great, snorkeling is good

and you can even get a beach chair and an umbrella.

A couple of longtail boats are gently bobbing on the clear water….

and only a handful of lucky tourists are enjoying the privilege of ‘knowing’,

what more can you ask for? In low season, it might feel a bit abandoned,

but I still like to go down there, these are places that will changes sooner than later.