Padang aims to lure 2.5 mln tourists next year

Padang, W Sumatra (ANTARA News) - The Padang city administration has set itself the target of luring 2.5 million domestic and foreign tourists for next year.

"We are optimistic we can achieve the target of 2.5 million tourist arrivals as will host many local and international events as the regular agenda of the tourism office next year," Head of the Padang City Culture and Tourism Office DR. Edi Hasyimi MSi said here on Friday.

The local tourism agenda include Siti Nurbaya festival, Minang fashion contest, culinary contest, dragon boat contest and tour de singkarak (international cycling race), he said.

Last year, more than 1.9 million domestic and foreign tourists visited the West Sumatra provincial capital, he said.

"We have not recapitulated the number of tourist arrivals in 2010. But we believe that it will be about the same as last year," he said.

The number of foreign tourists visiting the city last year reached an estimated 45,000, most of them from Malaysia and Australia.

Padang has a number of tourist sites including Lembah Anai waterfall, Air Manis beach, Muaro beach, Adhitya Warman Museum, Ganting Grand Mosque, and Siti Nurbaya bridge.

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