Move over Bali, Lombok beckons

Australian airlines are being urged to look beyond Bali for new services.

Indonesian Minister of Culture and Tourism Jero Wacik has suggested that airlines should be encouraged to use the upgraded Lombok International Airport, which will open in October, as a hub to other parts of Indonesia.

Wacik said there were opportunities to promote Indonesia beyond Bali and Jakarta.

"We are not only promoting Lombok as a destination, but also as a hub to the West and East Nusa Tenggaran and even to Kalimantan and Sulawesi," he said.

Airlines services to Bali from Australia have grown rapidly, although Strategic Airlines will abandon the Perth-Bali and Townsville-Bali routes in October, blaming over-capacity and intense competition.

There were 398,000 Australian arrivals to Indonesia in the six months to July this year.