ACEH PROVINCE GEARS UP FOR SAIL SABANG 2017 by Fardah

Jakarta, Oct 28, 2017 (Antara) - Sail Sabang, this year's edition of annual international maritime event Sail Indonesia, will be centered on Weh Island, Aceh Province, from Nov 28 to Dec 5, with the aim of promoting tourist destinations in Indonesia's westernmost province of Aceh.

         Themed "Developing Sabang as a Gate of Global Marine Tourist Destination," the event will be held at four locations, namely Sabang Bay, Sabang Fair, Gapang Resort, and Kilometer Zero.

         On Dec 2, President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) is scheduled to officially inaugurate the event at Pasiran beach, Sabang Gulf, where a cargo harbor will be built.

         The sail event will be highlighted with mass traditional dance performances, Sabang Wonderful Expo, Aceh Fun Dive, International Aerobatic Show, International Diving Competition, and a Coffee and Culinary Festival, among other things.

         Indonesian warships, such as KRI Bima Suci and KRI Dewa Ruci, will also participate in the event.

         The Tourism Ministry has planned to turn Sail Sabang into a momentum to launch a Sabang-Phuket-Langkawi shipping route, which is considered as a golden triangle axis.

         Tourism Minister Arief Yahya hoped that the event would help promote Weh Island as a marine tourist resort of international standard.

          The opening of Phuket-Langkawi-Sabang route is expected to boost yacht or cruiser business.

          "We have reached a cooperation agreement with the marinas in Phuket and Langkawi. We have to make the goal to open a triangle route with Sabang a success," the minister noted.  

     The Aceh chapter of the Indonesian Travel Bureau Association (ASITA) has expressed its full support towards the implementation of Sail Sabang 2017 and is determined to make the event a success.

         "We are ready to play our role. We have held coordinating meetings several times," Totok Julianto, secretary of the Aceh ASITA, stated recently.

         According to the data of the Aceh central bureau of statistics, the number of foreign tourist arrivals in Aceh during the January-August period was 20,818 people, a drop of 27.61 percent from the same period in the previous year.

         In general, however, the number of tourist arrivals in Aceh has increased, thanks to domestic tourists.  
     As for Sabang alone, foreign tourist arrivals have reached some 12 thousand. By 2019, the number of foreign tourists is expected to increase threefold to reach some 30 thousand tourists.

          As of July 2016, some 37 yachts had anchored at the Sabang Port, and by November 2016, some 10 cruises, with a total 9,763 tourists onboard, had made a port of call.

         Julianto believed that most visitors attending the Sail Sabang peak ceremony next month will be domestic tourists.

         A total of 87 yachts, among other things, from Singapore, Australia, Europe, Malaysia, and Thailand, have already registered and confirmed their participation in Sail Sabang.

         "The government has set a target to attract 100 yachts to participate in the event, and right now, 87 from various countries have already registered," Fauzi Umar, Sail Sabang's representative of the Sabang Free Market and Port Area Agency, said in Sabang town.

         He pointed out that several yachts had participated in the Lovina Festival held in Bali's Lovina Port and had already made preparations to take part in the Sail Indonesia event.

         "Yachts, such as 'Celcius,' owned by Miss Jacline from Canada, and 'Except,' belonging to a Japanese Yusoa, have already hoisted the Sail Sabang flag," Umar stated.

         He noted that the 87 yachts from Bali will continue their voyage to Karimunjawa and visit several tourism sites in Indonesia before arriving in Sabang for the sail event.

        From Sabang, the yachts will later participate in Sail Malaysia and Sail Thailand.

        The Public Works and Public Housing Ministry has donated 11 water pumps for the implementation of the international maritime event.

          "The  Public Works and Public Housing Ministry has provided 11 water pumps to meet the clean water demand during Sail Sabang," Cut Faisal Syaputra, the director of state-owned regional clean water company PDAM Tirta Aneuk Laot, noted here, on Saturday.

          "Some 14 days prior to the event, every water pump will be installed and will be ready to supply clean water to the locations of Sail Sabang," he revealed.

        The installation of water pumps is permanent, and they will be ready to supply water to some six thousand households after the event.

         Sail Sabang is part of the Sail Indonesia series, which were earlier organized as Sail Karimata in 2016, Sail Tomini in 2015, Sail Raja Ampat in 2014, Sail Komodo in 2013, Sail Morotai in 2012, Sail Wakatobi-Belitung in 2011, Sail Banda in 2010, and Sail Bunaken in 2009.

         This year¿s event will mark the 17th year of Sail Indonesia yacht rally, which is being held every year since 2000. For this year, the rally departed from Darwin on July 29, 2017, to begin a three-month program of linked events across Indonesia.

         More than 1.2 thousand yachts have joined the rally across Indonesia during the past 16 years. ***1***
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(T.F001/A/BESSR/A. Abdussalam) 28-10-2017