Transportation Minister Supports Promotion of Wakatobi Tourism

Kendari, SE Sulawesi, May 3 (Antara)- Transportation Minister Ignasius Jonan has expressed support to the promotion of Wakatobi tourism. The national marine park of Wakatobi is no less beautiful than those in Bali and Raja Ampat (West Papua), Minister Jonan stated here on Monday. "Hopefully, the Southeast Sulawesi governor will (take steps to) boost tourism in Wakatobi as one of the best destinations in Indonesia," he remarked. Jonan claimed of having frequently visited Wakatobi to enjoy the scenery of its marine park. The minister said he had visited Kendari thrice but had made seven trips to Wakatobi. "I believe that Wakatobi is one such tourism attraction that has beauty at par with Bali and Raja Ampat. This should be promoted by the regional government," he emphasized. The minister was in Kendari to inaugurate nine new seaports located in three provinces. The ceremony, however, was centered in Bungkutoko, Kendari, on Monday. The new seaports are Bungkutoko, Baubau, Wanci, Maligano, and Molawe in Southeast Sulawesi; Kalukalukuang in South Sulawesi; and Parigi, Malala, and Ogoamas in Central Sulawesi. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization had declared the Wakatobi Marine National Park of Southeast Sulawesi Province a world biosphere reserve area in 2012. The legendary Jacques-Yves Cousteau, the French pioneering explorer of the seas, is said to have called the Wakatobi islands in Southeast Sulawesi Province, an "underwater Nirwana." Cousteau also described the district as the finest diving site in the world. Wakatobi is known for having the highest number of reef and fish species in the world. The islands are also famous as the largest barrier reef in Indonesia, second only to the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. The park is believed to have 942 species of fish and 750 species of coral. A total of 850 coral species are found across the world. It also has fringing, atolls, and barrier reefs and offers more than 50 scenic dive sites that are easily accessible from the major islands. It is the habitat of large and small fish species and the playground of dolphins, turtles, and even whales. The island group comprises 143 larger and smaller islands, with only seven of them inhabited by a total population of around 100 thousand. All others remain uninhabited. Most notable are the Bajo communities, the seafaring nomads, who inhabit many of Indonesia's remote islands. The Bajo people, a traditionally nomadic ethnic group whose members live in houseboats, are often referred to as sea gypsies. They depend on traditional fishing methods for their livelihood.