Tomini Bay To Be World Marine Tourism Destination

Jakarta, Sept 11 (Antara) - Tomini Bay, which is located in the Northeastern part of Sulawesi island, has the potential to become a world marine tourism destination, secretary of the Indonesian Marine Board, or DEKIN, Dedy H Sutisna said here Thursday. The implementation of Tomini Bay Festival on September 10 to 13, 2014, is just momentum required to change the image of Tomini Bay as a marine tourism destination in the eyes of the international community, according to him. This largest bay in Indonesia could be the most attractive marine tourism destination in the world due to its richness of natural and cultural potential. Through the festival, the world is expected to familiarize itself with the beauty of the biodiversity in Tomini Bay, Dedy said. The festival is celebrated with various events for tourists keeping in mind the cultural wealth of Tomini Bay. Among others are traditional dance performances, a parade of fishing boats, an exhibition of marine and fisheries life as well as the awards night for an underwater photography competition involving 40 participants. This festival is one of a series of the Archipelago Day Commemoration and also a prelude to welcome Sail Tomini 2015. "The charm of the sea and its cultural diversity makes Tomini Bay, that lies between the coral triangle a magnificent exotica to explore," Dedy said, adding that the marine tourism sector in this area is most efficient and perfect for investment over other sectors. Related to the development of the marine tourism sector, the Ministry of Marine and Fishery has promoted the management of local community-based marine tourism as a part of nature conservation. The ministry has embarked on a development strategy for the marine tourism industry by empowering local communities, as well as endorsing respect for the local knowledge to conserve the marine ecosystem. The ministry continues to promote ocean resources-based economic development besides wisely exploring the potential of the sea to encourage economic growth and improving society, he explained. It is expected that the community will be able to compete in the global arena. To face the free market ASEAN Economic Community by 2015 with the demographic bonus of 2025, the acceleration in development of the marine sectors will be directed to fisheries, tourism and transportation along with non-oil energy and mineral resources, marine industries, and financial services. "Marine and fishery sectors, especially in the field of services such as marine tourism, are expected to contribute a significant amount to the national income," Dedy said. Data obtained from the Central Statistics Bureau in 2013, showed more than 8.8 million foreign tourists visited Indonesia, growing 9.42 percent over the previous year with the acquisition of foreign exchange amounting to US$10.05 billion. Meanwhile, the marine tourism sector has accounted for 30 percent of the national tourism activities or worth US$3 billion. This amount excluded marine tourism support activities such as handicrafts, culinary industry, as well as other services. As per a report by The World Travel and Tourism Council, in 2014 Indonesia is likely to see a 14.2 percent growth in foreign tourist visits and 6.3 percent in domestic travelers. Dedy was optimistic that tourism, especially marine tourism will provide more economic benefits to Indonesia. Along with that, as an effort to accelerate the development of marine and fishery sectors, especially marine tourism, the government has set Palu city, Central Sulawesi to be one of the Special Economic Zones, or KEK. It aims to bring tourists from all over the world to visit the city and Tomini Bay. The management of the marine sector in Central Sulawesi is divided into three zones namely Makassar Strait and the vicinity, Tomini Bay, and Tolo Bay. This zoning is being done to manage marine resources within the framework of Blue Economy.