TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The government renovated hundreds of residential houses in Mount Bromo, Tengger, and Semeru in East Java to be used as homestays. The Public Works and Housing Ministry Director-General of Housing, Khalawi Abdul Hamid, said the program was part of the tourism development program.

Mount Bromo, Tengger, Semeru in East Java is one of the super-priority tourist destinations. So the revamp was aimed at improving the quality of homestays for tourists. “We build 430 housing units as part of the Tourism Residential Facility (Sarhunta) program in the Bromo, Tengger, Semeru area,” said Khawali in a written statement on Sunday, October 17.

Of the 430 houses, 310 of them were renovated to be used as residences, homestays, and other types of businesses, while the rest 120 units were established as homestays that look like residential houses.

The program was executed in Probolinggo Regency, Pasuruan Regency, Malang Regency, and Lumajang Regency. The total budget for the program reached Rp25.99 billion. “The construction progress has reached 70 percent and will be completed by the end of this year,” Khalawi added.

A resident of Gubuk Klakah Village of Malang Regency, Heri Kuswanto, who received the program assistance said his house could now be put on rent for tourists so that he could get additional income apart from farming at around Rp2 million per month.

“I never thought I could get this assistance,” Heri said, adding that he planned to offer tour packages to Mount Bromo, Tengger, and Semeru, for tourists renting his homestay.

Read: Bromo National Park Closes Again After Brief Opening

ANTARA