Lombok's Future

Background

For years Lombok has lived in the shadow of its more famous neighbor Bali. Now the restless island of Lombok is making a continual attempt to develop itself as the next Bali, while trying to retain its natural charm.

Slower than its neighbor to pick up the tourist treks, Lombok has been promoted as an 'unspoilt Bali'. Tourists visiting Lombok usually treat it as a side trip to Bali and stay only a few days.

The Japanese and Australians, the two most important tourist groups of Bali, come to Lombok for surfing. The Koreans come here for their honeymoon, Europeans see it more as an extension of Bali, and expats come from Jakarta for relaxation. But there is new interest in Lombok.

Construction has begun on a new international airport of $US72 million ($A75.11 million), close to the city of Praya and about 30 km south of the existing Selaparang airport.

The authorities believe that the opening of the new airport, expected in 2010, will make Lombok a primary tourist destination, instead of just an addition to Bali. International travelers will be able to fly directly to Lombok.

Of course this project is a tremendous economic booster for the South and East Lombok region. The pristine, natural coast is ideal for private residences or commercial projects such as hotels or resorts.

By laying the first stone, the governor of the province (West Nusa Tenggara), Mr H.L. Serinata, officially opened the construction works on January 19, 2008. The total investment amounts to 666 billion rupiah (approximately 72.3 million US dollars) and the opening is planned for 2010.

Jakarta, Indonesia, April 30, 2007: Emaar Properties, the UAE-based global real estate developer, has expanded its geographical presence to Southeast Asia with a mixed project on Central Lombok. The development value of the project, spread over 1,200 hectares, amounts to AED 3.2 billion (US$ 600 million; IDR 5665 billion).

"Lombok has a long history of welcoming travelers from around the world, and tourism is the island's largest source of income," said Mr. Syahrul. "Emaar's resort-cum-residential project will complement our efforts to further develop Lombok, while maintaining environmentally friendly tourism growth initiatives."

Emaar's Lombok project has a 7 km natural waterfront, which will support a marina, alongside luxury residences and resorts of five-star hotel chains. The project also includes a golf course and retail facilities.

At the moment there is virtually no road in Lombok that is not under construction. All main roads in Mataram are being expanded, new roads are under construction to better connect the east and south of Lombok.

The rivers are being repaired to prevent flooding in the rainy season. There are 2 new power stations under construction, one of which is geothermal.