TEMPO.CO, Gresik - Gresik administration has called on investors to develop its tourism sector, which include Bawean Island. Gresik Regent Sambari Halim Radianto said Bawean Island has the potential for tourism development but it lacks the infrastructure needed to realize it. Sambari pointed out to the example that the region has only three scheduled flights a week.

“[To develop] Gresik tourism sector [we] have to cooperate with investors,” Sambari told Tempo yesterday.

Bawean island boasts the potential for nature tourism development. He said Bawean has underwater tourism, waterfall, deer conservation center, Kastoba lake and hot spring. “Bawean is beautiful. The nature is still unexploited,” he said.

However, tourists have been struggling to reach such destinations due to infrastructure-related issues. The Regent said Bawean is visited by 250 people from Gresik per day. Whereas the number of tourist arrivals by plane is low due to lack of direct flights.

“We have asked for daily flight schedule but it hasn’t been approved,” Sambari.

Bawean island is situated on the Java Sea, around 80 miles (120km) north of Gresik. The island has been part of Gresik District, East Java, since 1974.

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