As the largest archipelago in the world, Indonesia is a perfect destination for yachts and cruise trips. In order to attract more international yachts and cruise ships to the crystal clear Indonesian waters, the Ministry of Tourism of the Republic of Indonesia will host the Wonderful Indonesia Cruise Sales Mission in Sydney, Australia on 12th August 2016 at the Hilton Hotel, 488 George St. The event will demonstrate Indonesia’s commitment to developing the Australian tourism market while encouraging niche market sectors including cruises and yachts.
The Indonesian government has implemented a number of policies that will enable greater ease of travel for seafaring holidaymakers. These include the waiver of cabotage so that cruise ships are able to embark and disembark at the appointed ports of Tanjung Perak in Surabaya, Tanjung Priok in Jakarta, Tanjung Benoa in Bali, Belawan in Medan and Makassar. The government has also eased the CIQP (customs, immigration, quarantine, and port authorities) procedures, simplified the sailing permit applications from one month to just one day and plans to build new marinas at Saumlaki, Ambon, Kupang, Tarakan, Labuan Bajo, Tanjung Pandan and Belitung. In addition, the Clearance and Approval for Indonesian Territory (CAIT) policy has been abolished, allowing yachters to register more easily online via http://yachters-indonesia.id.
Natural beauty and cultural richness make Indonesia an outstanding destination for tourists by land, air and sea. The waters surrounding the many islands of the archipelago are home to snorkeling, diving and swimming without parallel. The new short stay visa regulations will also permit travellers from 169 countries to visit Indonesia with greater ease and take a local charter vessel.
Cruise traffic in Indonesia has recorded 266,000 passengers so far in 2016. The number is expected to grow as new destinations open up and legislation is eased. Much of this is expedition vessels, boutique vessels and vessels of limited capacity (up to 1,500 passengers). In general Australia is still the main market for Indonesia’s tourism industry. In the last two years, the number of Australian visitors to Indonesia was above 1 million, along with visitors from Malaysia, China and Singapore.
The enchanting island of Bali is still considered by many as the number 1 destination in the Indonesian Archipelago. However, in years to come the island is expected to become a hub for onward travel to other outstanding locations in the archipelago. Confirming the vision, Indonesia’s Minister of Tourism, Arief Yahya stated: “We want to promote Bali and Beyond so that destinations close to Bali can also develop. After enjoying Bali visitors can continue on to other destinations such as Banyuwangi, Lombok, Wakatobi, Labuan Bajo and Mount Bromoâ€.
New legislation, combined with growth in the cruising and yacht sector, will bring greater numbers of travellers than ever before to these outstanding tourist locations, connecting by the beautiful blue waters of Indonesia.
