INDONESIA'S TOURISM INDUSTRY TO TARGET MARINE LOVERS by Fardah

    Jakarta, Feb 20, 2015 (Antara) - Under the presidency of Joko "Jokowi" Widodo, the Indonesian government is determined to revive the glorious maritime past of the nation.

         As the world's largest archipelagic nation, some 70 percent of Indonesia's territory is water and it has 17,480 islands and a 92,000-kilometer long beach and coastal areas, the second longest after Canada.

         It also has around 5.8 million square kilometers of marine territory, which constitutes huge marine tourism potential.

         The current government has identified that marine tourism has huge potential, but it has so far been overlooked.  

    "It is ironic that marine tourism just contributes 10 percent (of the total tourism earnings)," Tourism Minister Arief Yahya stated at the Bogor Palace, recently, after attending a limited cabinet meeting on tourism led by President Jokowi.

         The Indonesian government has set a target of US$4 billion from marine tourism this year, from US$1 billion in the previous year.

         Despite the huge potential, Indonesia lags behind Malaysia, which earned 40 percent of its tourism revenue from marine tourism, according to him.

         "Therefore, we will double the target (of marine tourism revenue) from 10 percent to 20 percent over the next five years," the minister stated.

         The minister was optimistic about achieving the new target, because two-thirds of the world's coral reefs exist in Indonesia.

         Indonesia belongs to the Coral Triangle Initiative (CTI) member nations that also include Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Solomon Islands and Timor-Leste.

         The Coral Triangle region is one of the most biologically diverse areas. It is home to more than 500 coral species or 76 percent of all known coral species, 53 percent of the world's coral reefs and more than 37 percent of coral reef fish species.

         The reef and coastal areas are major draws for the tourism industry and represent a significant economic resource for the region's countries.

         The CTI region is sometimes referred to as the "Amazon of the Seas", as it is a biological hotspot with extraordinary marine biodiversity, including 3,000 species of fish.

         One of the most famous marine tourism destinations in Indonesia is Raja Ampat Islands located in West Papua.

         Raja Ampat has been included in the list of the world's ten best underwater paradises.

         It offers unforgettable adventure activities such as diving, snorkeling, trekking, hiking, fishing, and fish-feeding at certain spots. 
    The islands have at least 1,320 fish species. They also have 75 percent of the world's coral species, 10 times the number of corals than the Caribbean, five species of rare turtles and 57 species of mantis shrimps in addition to 13 species of marine mammals and 27 species of rare fish.

         Raja Ampat has enchanting scenery extending from the deep sea to the sky, and visitors can also indulge in activities such as bird watching. Raja Ampat has rare species of birds such as King Cockatoo (Palm Cockatoo) and Cendrawasih or Bird of Paradise.

         In August 2014, the Indonesian government organized Sail Raja Ampat, which is the sixth event after Sail Bunaken in 2009, Sail Banda in 2010, Sail Wakatobi-Belitung in 2011, Sail Morotai in 2012, and Sail Komodo in 2013.

         These sail series are part of the international maritime event Sail Indonesia organized annually by the government to attract tourists, particularly marine lovers who come by cruise ships and yachts.    
   The government has plans to woo luxury cruise ships and yachts to bring tourists to its islands.

        "We have started to invite cruise ships to Indonesia. This year, we plan to organize at least 12 events involving yachts," he remarked.

        Cruise ships are expected to visit 10 Indonesian seaports this year.

        The government has also eased permit procedures for international yachters for the purpose.

        "It is hoped that soon it will take only two hours to issue a permit," the tourism minister said in Batam, Riau Islands Province, earlier this month.

        The government will adopt an online system of issuing permits known as the Clearance Approval for Indonesian Territory (CAIT Online), he stated, adding that it also plans to extend the stay permit for yachters from three months to six months.

        Furthermore, the yachting tourism sector in Indonesia is quite competitive as compared to that of neighboring countries, Yahya pointed out.

        While in Singapore, the parking fee for a yacht amounts to Sing$1,000 to Sing$1,500 per month, it is only some Sing$500 in Indonesia, he observed.

        So far, thousands of yachters have parked their vessels in Singapore because the regulations and bureaucracy in Indonesia are not as competitive, he explained.

        The potential to attract yachters to stay in Indonesia was high considering Singapore's limited waters, and also as yachters sail around the waters of the Riau Islands and its vicinity, the minister further noted.

        "In view of that, we must improve our services if we aim to compete," he emphasized.

        Moreover, the Ministry of Tourism has received support from the Ministry of Transportation with regard to promoting the yachting tourism sector through the development yacht docking locations and improvement of piers' capacities.

        "The Ministry of Tourism has asked the Ministry of Transportation to develop the capacity of piers in 38 locations where yachts dock," he said.

        The Ministry of Tourism, along with stakeholders in the sector, has developed 18 yacht routes from Papua in the east to Sabang in the west.

        The development of these routes has been carried out through rallies, races and sailing events, such as Sail Raja Ampat, Sail Tomini, the Darwin-Ambon International Yacht Rally and Sabang International Regatta.

        President Joko Widodo has recognized tourism as a leading sector that should be supported by all other sectors, particularly those related to infrastructure and transportation.

        He has issued instructions that all main tourism sites have to be improved and tourism promotion should be intensified overseas.

        The Tourism Ministry has formulated a blueprint for the tourism sector. The blueprint mentions 88 national tourism strategic areas scattered throughout all provinces of Indonesia.

        "The Tourism Ministry focuses on the development of tourism in Bali, Jakarta, and Batam because they contribute 90 percent of the foreign tourist visits," Minister Yahya noted.

        As of 2015, the government has established a free visa policy for short visits by Australians, Japanese, Koreans, Chinese, and Russians.

        Central Executive Board Chairman of the Indonesia Congress and Convention Association (INCCA) Alan Iqbal Abdullah hailed the government's free visa policy.

        He even urged the government to increase the number of countries whose citizens are allowed visa-free travel to Indonesia for short visits.

        "We propose to increase the number of visa-free countries. There are five countries: the UK, the Netherlands, France, the United States, and Germany," Iqbal stated after a hearing with the House of Representatives' (DPR's) Commission X, recently.

        The government has set a target of US$12 billion in foreign exchange earnings from 12 million tourists who are expected to visit the country this year.

        Furthermore, the nation aims to achieve a target of 20 million foreign tourist arrivals in the country by 2019.   ***1***
(f001/INE)