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  • Marine tourism sector expected to contribute US$4 billion

    Marine tourism sector expected to contribute US$4 billion

    The marine tourism sector is expected to contribute US$4 billion in 2019, or a four-fold increase from the present contribution, according to Tourism Minister Arief Yahya.

    “We hope that the foreign exchange earnings from marine tourism will increase in 2019 from $1 billion this time,” Yahya remarked, during the signing ceremony of cooperation between the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries and the Ministry of Tourism in the field of marine tourism here, on Tuesday.

    The minister admitted that the contribution of marine tourism to the foreign exchange at present was still lower than that of the tourism sector as a whole.

    He said that the marine tourism currently contributes to only about 10 percent of the overall foreign exchange of national tourism that reaches $10 billion per year. Thus, the contribution of marine tourism is only about $1 billion.

    The minister compared this to Malaysia, where marine tourism contributes to about 40 per cent of the total foreign tourists.

    Malaysia itself is expected to rake in tourism foreign exchange of about $25 billion per year.

    Yahya argued that the factors that lead to minimal contribution of marine tourism in Indonesia, among others, were regulatory factors, human resources, and the approach on being more concerned about security than services.

  • Marina project in Labuan Bajo to cost Rp300 billion

    Marina project in Labuan Bajo to cost Rp300 billion

    Tourism Minister Arief Yahya said construction of marina port for tourist boats in Labuan Bajo, Flores, would need Rp300 billion.

    The port would facilitate growing number of international tourist boats visiting that area, the minister told reporters here on Friday.

    Arief Yahya was here to attend a meeting to strengthen tourism cooperation between the East Nusa Tenggara provincial administration and a US operator of international tourist boats, Carnival.

    The meeting took place on board the Pacific Eden that landed on the Benoa port, Bali, on Thursday.

    Also attending the meeting include Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, Transport Minister Budi Karya Sumadi and East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) Governor Frans Lebu Raya.

    Arief said the budget for the marina project in Labuan Bajo, which is one of the countrys 10 priority destinations would include fund from the state budget and the private sector.

    “With the fund we would build a big and long port in Labuan Bajo to allow international pleasure boats to land there,” the minister said.

    He said around the same amount of budget has also been set aside by the government in cooperation with the private sector for development of an airport named Komodo Airport in Labuan Bajo.

    The airport is named after the Komodo island, the habitat of Komodo, the ancient giant lizards, found only in the Indonesian island, which one of World wonders.

    NTT Governor Frans Lebu Raya said the Central Government supports the tourism cooperation with Carnival.

    “The central government would built the marina, to be completed in 2019, at Labuan Bajo and various other supporting facilities to make Lbuan Bajo a “home port” for international pleasure boats,” he said.

    Labuan Bajo would be the main gate for tourists coming on board pleasure boats to visits tourist objects in Flores, Lembata, Alor and Sumba, he said, adding the port is designed to be able to accommodate tourist boat with thousands of passengers.

    The port would contribute to economic development in that area with thousands of foreign tourists expected to visit and land at the port when it is operational, he said.

    The problem so far is NTT has no modern marine to accommodate international tourist boats, he said.

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  • Airasia to serve Kuala Lumpur-Jakarta-Labuan Bajo route

    Airasia to serve Kuala Lumpur-Jakarta-Labuan Bajo route

    The Malaysia-based low cost carrier AirAsia will soon serve the Kuala Lumpur-Jakarta-Labuan Bajo route, according to East Nusa Tenggara Tourism and Creative Economy Office Chief Marius Ardu Jelamu.

    “There has been an agreement with the central government and the airline company that AirAsia will serve this new route starting from next year,” Jelamu said here on Wednesday.

    He said the AirAsias new route will have a positive impact on the flow of tourists to the province of East Nusa Tenggara through the entry gate of Labuan Bajo.

    “This new service of AirAsia will enable more foreign tourists to visit the leading destinations in East Nusa Tenggara,” he said, adding that tourism progress is dependent on smooth air transport connectivity.

    Jelamu said that in addition to the Kuala Lumpur-Jakarta-Labuan Bajo route, his party is also trying to accelerate the implementation of Kupang-Dili-Darwin route.

    “In addition to air connectivity from the west, the one from the south, namely from Australia to East Nusa Tenggara, also has its share of attractive markets for linking the three countries,” he said.

    Jelamu expressed hope that the Kupang-Dili-Darwin route, which had been halted since 1990s, can be reopened soon to support the advancement of tourism in the island province.

    “We hope that the Ministry of Transportation will quickly agree on the proposed route service with the airline,” he said.

    Further, Jelamu said he appreciated the efforts of the Ministry of Transportation to have opened the Jakarta-Kupang and Jakarta-Labuan Bajo routes, served by Garuda Indonesia.

    However, he said the flight path from the south also has attractive market potential related to the flow of tourists and expressed hope that the Kupang-Dili-Darwin route would be reopened soon.

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  • 24 boats partcipating in Sail Indonesia arrive in Alor

    24 boats partcipating in Sail Indonesia arrive in Alor

    Twenty four boats of Sail Indonesia participants arrived in Alor, East Nusa Tenggara on Thursday afternoon, and will travel to a number of destinations in Alor District.

    “The Board of Alor District government and the community welcomed the Sail Indonesia participants today,” Secretary of the Department of Tourism and Creative Economy of Alor District, Adifa Yunus, told Antara before the opening of the 10th Alor Expo in Kalabahi on Tuesday.

    He said tens of participants from various countries will attend the 10th Alor Expo and undertake some cultural tourism Alor District for several days.

    “Sail Indonesia participants, who will be in Alor till August 13, will visit various tourist destinations which have natural beauty and a rich culture. They will also see some marine tourism in Pantar Strait,” he added.

    Rosemarie from Berlin, Germany, one of the participants who has been following Sail Indonesia from Darwin, Australia, observed that it was her first visit and she was deeply fascinated with the nature and culture of Alor.

    “I came for the first time with my husband on a Salmon boat from Kupang. Now I have arrived in Alor to follow the Alor Expo,” she told Antara before the opening of the 10th Alor Expo.

    During her stay in Alor, Rosemarie with her husband and other colleagues participating in the sailing event, will visit various tourist destinations in Alor and will especially try snorkeling in the Pantar Strait.

    “I have been hearing a lot from the people and the media about the underwater natural beauty of Alor and wanted to undertake snorkeling before heading off to any other place,” she informed.

    Rosemarie gushed that she was amazed with the local culture, and termed it a unique and exotic wealth.

    “This is a valuable opportunity I have got in life. Ever since I first came to Alor, I have witnessed firsthand the cultural and natural wealth that a traveler can find here,” she remarked.

    After a visit to various tourist destinations in Alor, she proceeded to Labuan Bajo, as did her other colleagues in the Sail Indonesia, to see the unique species of Komodo, called one of the wonders of the world.

    Sail Indonesia participants aboard 42 boats are currently visiting various tourist destinations in East Nusa Tenggara after they moved out of the city of Kupang. While 24 participant sail boats came to Alor, other participants are visiting various tourist destinations such as Labuan Bajo Flores, Wini in Pulau Timor and Sumba.

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  • Komodo Island named Indonesia`s main marine tourist destination

    Komodo Island named Indonesia`s main marine tourist destination

    The Ministry of Tourism has mapped Komodo Island as one of the 12 major marine tourist destinations in Indonesia.

    The other destinations included in the list are Wakatobi in Southeast Sulawesi, Derawan in East Kalimantan, Raja Ampat in Papua, Nias in North Sumatra, Mentawai in West Sumatra, Ujung Kulon in West Java, Anak Krakatau in Sunda Strait, Tomini in Central Sulawesi, and Bali and Lombok in West Nusa Tenggara.

    “The twelve islands are included in the blueprint of the marine tourism development plan for natural resources and creative economy in promoting the brand Wonderful Indonesia,” Welly Rame Rohimone, acting head of the provincial tourism and creative economy office, stated here on Tuesday.

    Komodo Island, the natural habitat of the Komodo dragon (Varanus kommodoensis), has been selected as one of the new seven Wonders of Nature. The tourist area is ideal for diving and cruise tourism.

    “East Nusa Tenggara will be developed as Indonesias tourism gateway besides Bali, West Nusa Tenggara, and ten other islands,” Rohimone noted.

    The Komodo dragon in Komodo National Park can be found on the islands of Rica, Padar, and Komodo.

    “Sail Indonesia, being held since 2009, has also been organized in East Nusa Tenggara in 2013 under the name of Sail Komodo,” he emphasized.

    Komodo Island, with a land area of 390 square kilometers, has a population of over two thousand.

    The island has a beach with sand that appears pink as it contains a mixture of white sand and red sand, formed from pieces of Foraminifera.

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