KUCHING: The Indonesian government move to relocate its capital from Jakarta to East Kalimantan will provide more flight options to destinations worldwide.
Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel (Matta) Sarawak chairman Oscar Choo said it will boost border tourism.
“The relocation of Jakarta will boost cross border tourism among the three nations in Borneo with better infrastructure, especially immigration matters and road quality, and maybe even a railroad system,” he told the New Sarawak Tribune here today.
“The new Indonesian capital will add another international airport which provides an option for flight connectivity to destinations worldwide,” he added.
Recently, Indonesia’s Tourism and Creative Economy Minister Sandiaga Uno had reportedly said the relocation of Jakarta would bolster the economy of not just Indonesia but also that of Malaysia as it will see more tourists flocking to the region.
The city, named Nusantara, is being built in the forested province of East Kalimantan, some 2,000 km northeast of Jakarta across the Java Sea.
The decision followed growing concerns about the long-term sustainability of Jakarta.
Besides massive daily road traffic pollution, the present capital is also experiencing a huge population growth and is already home to 30 million people.
The horrendous Jakarta traffic is a result of decades of rapid urbanisation coupled with neglect of infrastructure.
In early 2022, the Indonesian parliament approved a bill to relocate the capital from Jakarta, which is also “rapidly sinking”.
