Seafood, Among Others, a reason to Visit, Batam Tourism Authority Boosts Seafood Eating Campaigns

Seafood, Among Others, a reason to Visit, Batam Tourism Authority Boosts Seafood Eating  Campaigns

By: Muhammad Laba

BALI, 25th March, 2021

Batam is an Island, lies north-west of the Capital Jakarta, was initially developped by government at early 1970s, to the basis of transhipment, electronic manufacturer, trade and commerce, a newest model of government development particularly regulation simplicity. Hence the progress achieved were paralel to tourism progress which is now along with all Riau Islands Province lists itself as the second most visited province in Indonesia, After Bali Province. 

Central Government under the new Tourism and Creative Economy Minister Sandiaga Uno has been working hard to reopened the Bali and Riau Islands doors for for foreign tourism, amid critics on the applicable possibility. Batam and Bintan of the province was many times mentioned by Minister Sandiaga Uno to be reopened earlier than Bali, hopefully by 21st April, 2021.

Prior to Covid ban, Riau Islands Province had attracted nearly 2 million visitors after Bali with 6.7 million visitors anually. Now as preparation to welcome visitor, the central government has been working hand in hand with the provincial government to prepare it self for the reopening, particularly health protocol compliance. And this effort has made Batam and Bintan considered as a territory ready to be visited by foreigners.

In line with the fact, Batam local tourism authority that has continuously done many effort during the pandemic season, has again come up with other campaign, now focusing on the Seafood Culinary tourism.

Sea creatures are traditionaly trapped and put into net ponds restaurants, there they are fed and raised into the restaurant dish size and cooked live for the comsumers. This type of restaurant is known as Kelong Restaurant, that has been so far the strength of live seafood culinary all over the islands province, will remain an advantage to Batam

Batam which is a 45 minutes by ferry ride from Singapore seaports, and 2.5 hours from Malaysia seaports, has so far attracted foreign visitors. Some factors then discovered and believed to be the visit reason, such as sport tourism which golfing dominated, Island visit, Cullinary Visit and so on.

Recently the Local Tourism Office along with its counterparts, have performed in Trade and Tourism Investment Exhibition 2021 held in Bali, there slogan of Batam Seafood Paradise has been taken in.

Executive Director of Batam Tourism and Promotion Board Edi Sutrisno spoke to journalists in Denpasar Bali when he lead the team to the exhibition, 25th March, 2021.

Edi said, among categories of tourism, Culinary particularly seafood rating, must be sharpened, for one of the big reason to foreigners to visit the island is Cullinary.

Brief of Strategic Advantages 

The Province that is border to some countries, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, China, Taiwan, Philippine, Brunei, is deemed very  strategic for any field of Investment. Even so, length of stay in Batam must be prolonged  altogether with other efforts of other field of tourism, such as religious tourism, sport tourism, island tourism, community based tourism and so on. 

"There is nowhere in this world a small island possesses 4 international passenger seaports, a 4,500 meter runway, 12 million accomodation capacity  per anum, than to be the most visited area of this country", said Edi in other discussion. (msl)