After a hiatus of over two decades, the 2021 MotoGP is returning home to Indonesia for the third time in unprecedented style. In two years’ time, the coveted motorbike championships will take place on the freshly built turf in Lombok, a rapidly developing Indonesian hot spot dubbed “the new Bali”. 

More specifically, the race will take place in a Special Economic Zone along the southern coast of Lombok called Mandalika. Still under construction, Mandalika is a $3 billion USD eco-tourism project comprised of the 4.3 kilometre MotoGP track, 11 hotels boasting a combined 2,000 rooms, a hospital, and a shopping mall, just to name a few of the seemingly endless offerings ornamenting the area. Given the exponential expectations of its impact on Indonesian tourism, the decision to go with Mandalika to host the event is a no-brainer. 

Beyond its credentials as a tourism conglomerate, Mandalika also has the space for the expansion required to host the MotoGP. The economic hub and resort zone spans over 105 hectares, stretching from the South coast of Lombok to the prime surfing spot in the Central Lombok Regency. The MotoGP street circuit is set to be built in collaboration with Vinci Construction Grand Projects (VCGP), after a $1 Billion USD deal was signed in August of last year, which includes a further 15 years of development on the island. The track will be equipped with a paddock area with 40 garages, 50,000 grandstand seats, a standing area for 138,000 spectators and hospitality suites that can accommodate up to 7,700 people. 

Whilst Lombok provides the perfect arena to house the MotoGP, the relationship between the island and the event is nothing if not symbiotic. Chairman of the Indonesian Tourism Association’s NTB sector, Awanadhi Aswinabawa told the Jakarta Post that he is sure ‘The MotoGp would be an amazing opportunity to life up tourism’ in the region, and catalyse an ‘amazing economic boost for the province’. 

The 2021 MotoGP’s scope and domain is enormous, with an expected audience of 400 million worldwide and a social media following of 23.5 million, along with 85 million regular website visitors. 

Head of investment and marketing at the Indonesia Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC) Ricky Baheramsjah has described the return of the MotoGP to Indonesia as a ‘powerful marketing tool’ for Lombok, adding that the MotoGP is not just about the motorbikes, but an opportunity to show the world that ‘Lombok is beautiful’. 

Upon completion, the ecotourism destination of Mandalika is expected to attract 2 million foreign visitors per year. 

Reach Markets have been engaged by LPG to assist with private investor management. Lombok Property Group has recently launched a brand new website detailing development updates and more information for its unique SIWA Cliffs project. You can see more at https://www.siwacliffs.com/