Batam Island, Indonesia

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Batam Island

 

One of the Riau archipelago’s largest islands, Batam had once been a poor underdeveloped island

with unspoiled natural beauty and quaint villages on the coast. Just a short time after the 1989 declaration of the Batam free trade zone, the way of life on Batam Island was drastically changed.

Within just a short time, the island now boasts a fully equipped airport with business and tourist centers and ongoing structural development which is rapidly changing the face of the island.

It is an admitted fact that neighboring Singapore is the model on which the island’s economy is being shaped, and it is predicted that Batam will inevitably transform into one of Southeast Asia’s biggest ports and will eventually become an important center of industry, international trade, and commerce.

Batam proximity to Singapore and the Malacca Strait is quite strategic and will definitely help it reach its primary goal. Yet like most of Indonesia, development and economic growth in this region was greatly affected by the economic crisis that occurred in Asia in the 1990s.

Actually, in terms of tourist arrivals, Batam is fast becoming a major tourist destination in Indonesia. Several resorts, golf courses and luxury Indonesian hotels are found on this island.