20 Ambassadors Join Special Tour to Help Lombok Tourism Recovery

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Ministry of Foreign Affairs invited 20 ambassadors of Indonesia`s friendly countries in Jakarta to join a Diplomatic Tour for two days, on November 9-10. The event aims to revive the tourism in Lombok after a month-long earthquake since July 29.

The diplomats will visit Gili Trawangan, Merese Hill in the Mandalika Special Economic Zone while drinking coffee, seeing traditional weavers of Sasak tribe in Ende hamlet, Pujut sub-district and Tee of the golf tournament.

“The Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs directly leads the activities,” said Director of Public Diplomacy Azis Nurwahyudi through a press statement given, Thursday afternoon, November 8.

They will also review the construction of the Darussalam Mosque in the Tanjung City, the capital of North Lombok Regency. The construction is funded by the fundraising program done the Jakarta Ambassador Golf Association (JAGA) and the sponsors.

JAGA also helped in rebuilding the bridges in Garut, West Java and provided clean water facilities in East Nusa Tenggara.

Read: Another Earthquake Hit Indonesia`s Lombok Island 

A series of earthquakes in West Nusa Tenggara caused damage to 149,715 houses and 564 people died. In total, 2,246 earthquakes occurred; with the preliminary earthquake of 601 times, plus the Magnitude 7.0 aftershocks on August 5, for 1,010 times.

Then on August 19, there were 635 aftershocks of magnitude 6.9. The total of earthquakes that have been felt since July 29 was 148 times.

SUPRIYANTHO KHAFID