W Kalimantan seeks China flights to boost tourism, trade

Pontianak, West Kalimantan (ANTARA) - The West Kalimantan provincial government is seeking to open direct flights from Pontianak to China to improve the region's international connectivity and boost tourism and trade.

"We are thankful for the recently launched Pontianak-Singapore direct flight and are preparing to open a direct flight from Pontianak to China, either to Beijing or Guangzhou," West Kalimantan Governor Ria Norsan stated here on Wednesday.

According to Norsan, opening more direct flights to international destinations, besides facilitating residents' travel, will open more opportunities for foreign tourists and investors in West Kalimantan.

Direct international flights will also help strengthen regional trade, as the province's mainstay fishery products such as shrimp and crabs can be transported overseas more quickly by air cargo, he said.

The governor urged regional business players to seize the opportunity by improving their product quality to meet international standards, ensuring its global acceptance, which will boost the province's competitiveness.

As the province seeks to welcome more foreign tourists through direct flights, the local government will improve infrastructure and access to tourism attractions, he said.

Highlighting the good condition of roads leading to key tourism destinations, including Singkawang City, the governor said his administration would continue improving the provincial road network to ensure that 80 percent of provincial roads are in good condition by 2030.

"We continue improving local infrastructure because ease of access to tourism attractions is one of the keys to developing the local tourism sector. Better roads will facilitate tourism mobility," he said.

Norsan said optimistic that expanding international connectivity will help West Kalimantan become the new gateway to Indonesia for international visitors, including from China.

"The integration of flight access expansion, infrastructure development, tourism promotion, and export strengthening will push the regional economic development more sustainably," the governor added.

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Translator: Rendra Oxtora, Nabil Ihsan

Editor: Bayu Prasetyo

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