TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Bangka Belitung Islands, in collaboration with state airliner Garuda Indonesia, will open a direct flight from China to increase international tourist visits to the region.

"We do a partnership with Garuda airline to open a direct flight from China, specifically from Sichuan Province where the Tionghoa (Chinese) ethnicity in Babel (Bangka Belitung) came from,” said Babel Islands Governor Erzaldi Rosman Djohan in Pangkalpinang, Saturday, November 28.

According to Erzaldi, this direct flight aimed to support the economic transformation of Bangka Belitung to the tourism sector, considering its natural tourism potential and the strategic geographical location.

"Bangka Belitung can’t keep depending on the mining sector. Several regions, such as Central Bangka and Belitung Regency, have prioritized the tourism sector," said the governor.

Currently, he went on, Bangka Belitung is running its strategy to increase the number of visitors and their length of stay on the islands. "To increase the number of tourists, we strengthen the collaboration with airlines to add flights to Bangka Belitung, especially for international tourists."

In addition, Bangka Belitung has proposed two special economic zones, namely in Tanjung Gunung and Sungailiat, to add the length of stay of visitors, said Erzaldi.

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