JAKARTA: The Tourism Ministry aims to attract around 4 million foreigners to marine tourist destinations in 2019, quadrupling the 1 million visitors recorded in 2014.
Tourism Minister Arief Yahya said that marine tourism’s contribution to the country’s foreign exchange income in the tourism sector reached only around 10 percent last year, far below neighbor Malaysia’s marine tourism, which contributed around 40 percent.
“Our target is to lure around 4 million foreign tourists to our marine tourism destinations in 2019, but for a start we are aiming at hosting at least 1.3 million this year,” the minister said during a seminar here the other day.
He added that he also expected to book US$4 billion in foreign exchange income from marine tourism in 2019, from $1 billion booked in 2014.
In order to boost the number of foreign tourists visiting the country as well as foreign exchange income, the ministry has prepared several quick-win programs, including increasing the number of national strategic tourism areas (KSPN) to be developed from the current eight areas to 25 areas in 2019.
Current marine KSPN include Tanjung Lesung in West Java, Bunaken in North Sulawesi, Raja Ampat in West Papua, Wakatobi in Southeast Sulawesi, Komodo Island in East Nusa Tenggara and the Thousand Islands in Jakarta. Over the next five years, to these areas will be added Moyo Island in West Nusa Tenggara, Bandaneira in Maluku and Teluk Cenderawasih and Biak in Papua over the next five years.
As part of the government’s quick wins to develop marine tourism, this year the ministry is set to hold 10 sailing events, including Sail Indonesia in July this year.
Arief also said that the government had expedited the permit process for yachts wanting to enter the country’s ports from taking three weeks to one week only, in a bid to invite more foreign tourists visiting the country with yachts.
He went on that the government aimed to further simplify the process to one day only with an online one-stop service.
He added that the government was also on its way to lengthening the time yacht permits would remain valid, from a period of six months to a whole year of multiple entries.
State-owned port operator PT Pelabuhan Indonesia (Pelindo III) is also ready to support the government’s program with plans to construct a new terminal at Labuan Bajo in East Nusa Tenggara dedicated to yachts and cruise ships next year.
Indonesian Tourism Promotion Board (BPPI) chairwoman Wiryanti Sukamdani meanwhile said that the board was also ready to assist the government in promoting the country’s marine tourism destinations, particularly in the country’s main markets such as China and Japan.
Meanwhile, Garuda Indonesia commercial director Handayani said that the airline had committed to boosting connectivity, particularly in the eastern part of the country, the main marine tourism destination.
Handayani said that the airline would further increase flight frequencies from Makassar to Jakarta, Surabaya and Denpasar.
She added that the airline was currently developing Makassar as a hub for crew training as well as aircraft maintenance.
