Mentawai Revenue Received from Tourism Sector Reached Rp7.3 Billion

Padang, (Antaranews Sumbar) - Regent of Mentawai Island District, West Sumatra, Yudas Sibaggalet stated that local revenue (PAD) received from tourism sector in 2017 reached Rp7.3 billion.

"The revenue does not include land taxes coming from resorts in Mentawai which estimated at Rp4 billion," he said accompanied by Head of Tourism, Youth and Sports of Mentawai Desti Seminora in Padang on Sunday.

According to him, the amount of income coming from Land Tax Building resort of Mentawai in 2017 reached Rp4 billion.

In Mentawai Islands, there are about 23 resorts, but there are only 10 resorts that have large scale.

Most of the resorts are managed by foreign nationals through foreign investment. They rent community land and set up resorts in several areas. In addition, there are also resorts managed by local community.

"Foreigners are legally landless but they only manage the resorts there. They also have an economic impact of labor. Around 90 percent of workers at the resort are Mentawai people but the level of managers does not exist yet because of the limited human resources," he explained.

It noted there are about 10,500 foreign tourists who visited Mentawai in 2017, more than 50 percent came from Australia, the United States, Brazil, Japan and Spain.

In addition to increase regional revenue, every overseas tourist who want to surf in Mentawai charged Rp1 million per person. Those who have paid a fee are given tickets and bracelets as a sign of making a payment. He said the levy was only valid for 15 days.

"If they increase the visit time for surfing, they will have to pay back Rp1 million," he said.

According to him, almost all the islands in the Mentawai become a tourist destination, but the most widely pursued is a location that has a good wave for surfing as on the island of Southwest Siberut extends to South Sipora. (cha)