Jakarta (Antara Babel) - Tourism attractions on Bangka Island, especially in the Central Bangka District in Bangka-Belitung (Babel) Province, must be supported by adequate facilities and infrastructure.
Ketawai Island in Central Bangka, for instance, is a stopover point for yachts from various countries, attracting both local and foreign tourists.
Situated some 18 kilometers from the Babel provincial city of Pangkalpinang, this uninhabited island is known for its beaches and underwater landscape, filled with sea grass and coral reefs.
Both the local and foreign tourists who had visited Ketawai Island acknowledged that it is an ideal location to go swimming, diving, and snorkeling, but it still needs adequate facilities and infrastructure.
"The beauty of Ketawai Island is not inferior to other islands in Indonesia, as it has tremendous tourism potential, and therefore, the facilities and infrastructure here must be improved," Suherman and Dedi, two local visitors to the island, stated recently.
The visitors said the waters around the island allowed them to go swimming, snorkeling, and diving to enjoy the beautiful coral reefs, with a variety of ornamental fish.
Due to its natural beauty, Ketawai Island was included on the list of recommended places to visit as part of the Sail Karimata 2016 activities, ranking among Jambi, the Riau Islands, and the Bangka Belitung Islands.
During the Sail Karimata event in October 2016, as many as 22 yachts from Germany, France, the US, Sweden, Australia, Switzerland, Italy, and Singapore had anchored at Ketawai Island.
The Ketawai administration had organized traditional art and cultural performances to entertain the visitors.
Along with the local villagers, the foreign yachters had also participated in a beach cleanup drive and the release of 100 baby turtles.
They praised the beauty of the island and the hospitality of the local people who had greeted them enthusiastically.
"This is one of the most beautiful islands that we have ever visited. It is very pretty, and we are very charmed by it," Nilian, an Australia yachter, said at the time.
Nilian believed the island was the ideal location for a yacht stopover, as it is clean and hardly ever used for any developmental activities.
"This island is uninhabited, and it is managed nicely. It is clean, calm, and has a large number of coconut trees. It is good for snorkeling too," Nilian remarked.
The Australian yachter suggested that Ketawai Island be included in the Indonesian sailing guide, as the island is worth visiting by any yachter.
Another yachter, Clara from New Zealand, noted she was charmed by the beauty of the island and the local people, who were very friendly.
"I am very impressed. I never thought that we would be greeted warmly and cheerfully by the local inhabitants and government officials," she said.
She promised to promote the island back home and to bring her family and friends for a visit.
Indeed, the arrival of foreign yachts on Ketawai Island's shores had attracted several inhabitants of Koba Village to the sailing event, arriving on traditional fishing boats.
Optimizing potential tourist attractions in Central Bangka District, Bangka-Belitung (Babel) Province, is the top priority of the local Culture and Tourism Office heading into 2017, the office's chief, Zaidi, said in the town of Koba.
According to Zaidi, the local office intends to rejuvenate regional tourism in the new year by mapping out potential tourist attractions and constructing supporting infrastructure.
Geographically, Central Bangka District comprises coastal areas with high marine tourism potential, in addition to historic and cultural tourist attractions.
The tourism potential in Central Bangka is quite promising, especially with marine tourism attractions such as Kebang Kemilaw Beach, Terentang Beach, Ketawai Island, and Kolong Biru.
Kolong Biru is a former tin mining pool with blue waters that is currently attracting many tourists who want to see its surrounding beauty.
Accordingly, the Central Bangka district government and the Culture and Tourism Office will develop it further in 2017 to attract even more tourists.
"We will complete the supporting facilities around Kolong Biru in an effort to enhance the appeal of this tourist attraction," Zaidi affirmed.
For its part, Bangka Island has an abundance of marine and historical attractions, encouraging the Pangkalpinang city government to spare no effort in developing them to appeal to domestic and foreign tourists.
The island is known for its lush tropical forests and is surrounded by a crystal-clear sea lapping at its white sandy beaches.
After visiting the beaches of Parai, Pasir Padi, Sampur, and Matras, returning to the hotel can be hard.
The historical attractions on Bangka Island include Museum Timah (Tin Museum), Rumah Residen (Resident's House), the Dutch Cemetery, Perigi Pekasem (Pekasem Well), and Tugu Pergerakan Kemerdekaan (monument of the independence movement).
Museum Timah used to be the house of Bangka Tin Winnig workers and the venue for meetings between Indonesian leaders and the Dutch government before the Roem-Royen conference.
The house has since been converted into a tin museum, where visitors can learn about the history of tin mining in Indonesia.
