INDONESIA has been officially confirmed as the host of the MotoGP championship in Mandalika, West Nusa Tenggara, through the signing of a cooperation agreement with Dorna Sports, Tourism and Creative Economy Minister Sandiaga Uno said.

“With the cooperation of all parties, God willing, March 18–20 (MotoGP event dates) will run successfully and smoothly,” he said at a weekly press briefing in Jakarta yesterday, Antara news agency reported.

He lauded the West Nusa Tenggara provincial government for moving quickly to anticipate a significant increase in accommodation and transportation prices due to the MotoGP event.

Last Thursday, West Nusa Tenggara Governor Zulkieflimansyah issued Governor’s Regulation (Pergub) Number 9 of 2022 concerning the Implementation of Accommodation Services Business to regulate the upper and lower limits of lodging rooms during international events, including international motorcycle racing events, he said.

“(This is) so as not to harm tourists for the 2022 MotoGP event,” the minister added.

As per the governor’s regulation, the accommodation zone closest to the MotoGP venue has been allowed to hike room rates by three times, he said.

For outer zones, the fare can be increased a maximum of two times and in the farthest zone, a maximum of one time, he added.

In Gili Samena, West Nusa Tenggara, 98 residential facilities have been built for tourism, which will later be equipped with sea and land shuttles to allow visitors to watch MotoGP at a very affordable price, Uno said.

“There is also a glamping facility that I have reviewed, and the capacity of glamping will be increased to about two thousand people,” the minister added. – Bernama, February 22, 2022.