Riau Islands aims to become Indonesia's golf tourism hub: Minister Sandiaga Uno

Batam, Riau Islands (ANTARA) - Tourism and Creative Economy Minister Sandiaga Salahuddin Uno said that Riau Islands is poised to become a golf tourism hub in Indonesia.

The province boasts 10 golf courses, with seven located in Batam City and three in Bintan District.

"We arrange Batam and Bintan in Riau Islands as a sports tourism hub, especially for golf," he stated during the Wonderful Indonesia Golf Tournament in Batam on Saturday.

The event attracted 140 participants, including golfers from Singapore and Malaysia.

"The strong interest was evident, with tickets selling out within a day of launch," Uno remarked.

He also highlighted the tournament as a testament to successful collaboration between the government and private golf course operators.

"This demonstrates the rapid growth of the sports-based tourism ecosystem, especially golf tourism," he noted.

He also expressed confidence that Riau Islands can capture 25 percent of Indonesia's targeted foreign tourist arrivals in 2024, which is projected to reach 14.3 million visitors.

Uno remained optimistic about achieving this target, considering the significant increase in foreign tourist visits to Riau Islands in 2023. The number jumped to 1.5 million from 785,000 visits recorded in 2022.