Ports improvement needed to lure cruise ships

JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia must improve seaports near tourist destinations if it wishes to attract foreign cruise ships to the country, a senior tourism official said here on Monday.

Udin Saifudin, the deputy state minister of tourism and arts, said most cruise ship operators had not included Indonesia on their itineraries due to the poor quality of the country's ports.

"Many passenger terminals in the country still cannot afford to provide world-class comfort, security and luxury for the US$10,000 cruise ship package," he said during a media conference on Indonesia's participation in the Seatrade Cruise Shipping Convention in Miami, the United States, from March 7 to March 11.

According to Udin, a number of major cruise operators had expressed interest in stopping in Indonesia. "But they are still reluctant to do so due to the poor conditions of the country's ports."

Indonesia has several destinations which appeal to cruise ships, including Krakatau island off the coast of West Java, Nusa Dua island in Bali, the islands of Nusa Tenggara and the islands in the Gulf of Maumere, near Ambon, he said.

About 50 foreign cruise ships visited Indonesia last year, carrying 20,000 passengers, Udin said, adding that the number of tourists traveling on cruise ships was expected to increase by 50 percent this year in line with continued growth of the industry.

Last year, about 6 million of the world's tourists traveled on cruise ships, he said.

He said PT Vista Express Travel and PT Nusa Ina Jakarta, two of four Indonesian travel agents which took part in the convention, received several orders from foreign cruise ship operators during the event.(07)