10 New Bali Project
Established by the Indonesia Government, the 10 New Bali Project was implemented to establish 10 new tourist hubs that replicated the immensely popular location, Bali. Bali’s economy relies on tourism and attracts hundreds of thousands of tourists every year. With hundreds of islands to choose from, Indonesia has the opportunity to drive the economy with this tourism project which will bring huge benefits to the country. The project has the targets of increasing foreign exchange in addition to significantly boosting employment figures. To achieve this they will be focusing on improved transport, improved tourism development programs, increased flights, and other essential growth factors.
Mandalika Project
To coincide with the 10 New Bali project, the Mandalika Project is set to boost tourism in Lombok exponentially. Backed by the Indonesian Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC), the project has been granted $3 BIllion USD to achieve success. The idea is to create a world-class experience, be a highlight for tourists, and to become a special economic zone (SEZ). Whilst the main goals of the Government initiative are to replicate the success of Bali, this location will aim to go a step further and achieve success. Some of the main highlights of this project include being accessible to major airport hubs (Singapore, Thailand, and Australia and accommodation consisting of over 10,000,000 hotel rooms from top brand names including Pullman, Club Med, and Grand Mercure Hotel. The project doesn’t stop there though; also being implemented on the island is a theme park, eco-park, water park, mangrove park, and even a MotoGP track. The Government initiative aims to put Lombok on the map as a desired tourist destination for all people. A conscious focus of the project is to ensure that eco-sustainability is applied in every aspect. This would include environmentally friendly technologies such as wind farms, solar farms, SWRO plants, and up to 51% dedicated “green space” to preserve nature and create an unforgettable tourist experience.
A primary focus of this initiative is to have the facilities required to supply power to the hotels, businesses, and towns. A power plant that covers 50 hectares will be constructed to produce this energy by the year 2025. The power will also supply the theme park, private villas, and a racetrack complex which all aim to be developed over the coming years. To coincide with the eco-sustainability focus, the power plant will be a solar plant. In addition to providing power, it will also use this energy to grow crops organically by utilizing free space underneath the solar panels. To add to these developments, the initiative will also create an electric light rail train, cable cars, panoramic lookouts, and an eco park.
A huge 51% of the landscape is to be dedicated to green space only in an effort to retain the natural environment and enhance tourist experience. This will allow the natural landscapes to flourish and the local wildlife to exist peacefully. In these focus areas, the Government aims to restrict all activities that can damage the environment and only allow walking & cycling which are low-impact on the environment. Eco-friendly technology such as SWRO plants, water treatment, disposal plants, and tidal energy will also be implemented on the island.
The Mandalika Project has one key focus point which is referred to as the “green future”. This relates to the Government's focus on eco-sustainability in development and will be implemented in all projects initiated for tourism. The strong “green future” focus will be on new resort builds which will require new buildings to protect the environment no matter what. Lombok can follow the examples set by Bali in order to understand contemporary practices and sustainable construction.
Lombok is considered to be one of the top emerging investment locations in the whole of Asia, making it a primary focus for Government initiatives and the economy. Natural landscapes, blue oceans, and biodiversity are a primary factor in Lomboks’ popularity. According to Tourism Solutions International (TSI) the number of new hotels being constructed is expected to double by the year 2022. Most of these developments will be implemented in the surrounded areas of South Lombok and generate millions for the economy.
