Muscat-Medan Route to Boost Number of Foreign Tourists, Says Minister
Jakarta – The Indonesian government is boosting international flights to encourage the entry of foreign tourists through the operation of Salam Air’s maiden flight connecting Muscat and Medan. The maiden flight has made its way to Kualanamu International Airport in the province of North Sumatra on July 4. Speaking about the maiden flight of Muscat-Medan route, Indonesia’s Minister of Tourism Widiyanti Putri Wardhana said that this would be an important milestone for Indonesia’s bali improved air connectivity with the Middle East countries and for promoting tourism in Indonesia.
Wardhana noted that this direct flight not only helps to improve relations between Indonesia and Oman but will also help travelers from the Middle East to easily reach Indonesia’s tourism sites, especially North Sumatra and Lake Toba. As mentioned by Wardhana, the new flight route will give out a positive message about the growth of the Indonesian tourism industry in the Middle Eastern travel market. This is due to the fact that, being one of the most significant aviation hubs of the Gulf region, the new flight route will guarantee better connectivity among passengers from neighboring countries such as Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, and Bahrain.
According to Ni Made Ayu Marthini, the Deputy for Marketing in the Ministry of Tourism, there is a great potential of the Middle Eastern travel market. In particular, she notes that people from the region are interested in family vacations, religiously friendly tourism, nature, culinary experience, and luxurious vacations. Based on Marthini's words, North Sumatra has great chances of becoming a key entry point for the Middle Eastern tourists irrespective of their purpose of travel.
Apart from increased tourist flows, the new Muscat-Medan route is supposed to bring economic advantages to North Sumatra through providing jobs for the hotels, restaurants, travel agencies, MSMEs, and creative industries companies.
