Since Abdulbar ‘Barry’ Mansoer joined Bali Tourism Development Corporation in October 2015, his challenging mandate has turned into a labour of love. Mansoer is tasked with rejuvenating The Nusa Dua, the iconic, award winning destination in southern Bali which was established in the 1970s, completingthe Mandalika; a massive world-class tourism destination four times the size of Nusa Duajust minutes from Lombok International Airport, and creating new destination around Indonesia to rival Bali.
In order to achieve these goals, Mansoer’s first order of business was to restructurethe State Owned Company formerly known as Bali Tourism Development Corporation (BTDC) into Indonesia Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC), to expand the scope and scale of operation beyond Bali. A new corporate brand was crafted for ITDC, with the tagline of ‘Creating Destinations’, and company headquarters was shifted from Bali to Jakarta.
‘We want to ensure Tourism is at the forefront of Indonesia’s development and we have a big task ahead of us’, says Mansoer. ITDC’s flagship resort The Nusa Dua has a complete line of tourism facilities with over 5,000 upscale hotel rooms, 18 holes award winning golf course, international hospital, and the largest retail center in Bali, within a total area of 350 hectares. Today, The Nusa Dua is known as an internationally recognised MICE Centre (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Events) with 17,000 total capacity, the largest in Indonesia. Our aim is to further expand the resort as an ‘outdoor’ destination as well with new attractions and activities to create an exciting destination for families’.
Mansoeris also focusing his efforts on developing The Mandalika resort in Lombok, the closest island to Bali, which he predicts will be Indonesia’s crowning tourism destination jewel. Total development area is 1,175 hectares, boasting over 16 kilometers of some of the most beautiful white sand beach coastline. For investors, The Mandalika is a unique opportunity comparable to investing in Bali during the early stages of the island’s development, which has proven to be aboon for early investors.
‘We want to create destinations which put Indonesia on the map and The Mandalika is designed to do just this’, says Mansoer. The resort’s main theme of Eco Tourism guides all aspects of The Mandalika’s sustainable resort development, with planning for over 10,000 hotel rooms, a twenty-seven hole signature golf course, retail centers, MICE, hospital and even a planned MotoGP street circuit.
‘With the popularity of bikes and motorsports here in Indonesia, MotoGP races are one of the most popular watched sports. We will tie-up with various partners to push this project through’, says Mansoer.
ITDC sees tourism not just as a source of revenue, but as way to positively impact the local economies of regionally dispersed cities and provinces.
‘Tourism alleviates poverty and stimulates supporting industries which in turn create opportunities for local communities’, says Mansoer. ‘Today, there are fantastic opportunities to be had, not just here in Indonesia but across ASEAN. We are in the business of developing destinations, and the next step for us is to partner with investors from around the world to help us achieve our vision for the future of Indonesia’s tourism industry’.
www.itdc.co.id
The Nusa Dua Tourism Area
https://www.itdc.co.id/the-nusa-dua/home-page
The Mandalika
https://www.itdc.co.id/the-mandalika/home-page
