Authorities in the Indonesian island of Batam are planning for it to become a key tourism hub for western Indonesia by 2015. The Antara news agency reported Batam’s Mayor, Ahmad Dahlan as saying this week that IDR3.2 billion (US$373,400) has been set aside to boost the island’s tourism infrastructure, with plans to build a tourist centre by the end of the year. The facility will include a concert area, a sports centre and museum.
Located in the Riau Islands, off the coast of Sumatra, Batam is the closest Indonesian island to Singapore, while its Hang Nadim Airport offers direct connections to Jakarta and Kuala Lumpur. An estimated 2,500 foreign tourists visited Batam in Q1 2011 – up 4% year-on-year.
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