Indonesia: Mandalika breathes new life into Jokowi’s ambitions

A motorbike racer takes his vehicle through the paddock ahead of a free practice run for the Superbike World Championship (WorldSBK) at the Pertamina Mandalika International Street Circuit in Central Lombok, East Nusa Tenggara, on Nov. 19, 2021. The WorldSBK race features 23 racers from 12 teams and runs from Friday until Sunday. - Jakarta Post/ANN

JAKARTA, Nov 20 (Jakarta Post/ANN): President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s big dream of developing tourism hubs outside of Bali looks to be reaping rewards.

His inauguration of the Mandalika Circuit in Central Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara (NTB), on Nov. 12 has spurred a sense of optimism and euphoria among residents especially given their bid to revive tourism from the pall of the COVID-19 pandemic.