INDONESIA is intent on growing its cruise industry, with a chain of infrastructural and policy developments, particularly in Benoa on Bali, scheduled to take shape over the next three years.
Captain Ali Sodikin, terminal manager, Port of Benoa, said dredging work to turn Benoa into a turnaround port had already begun, with the second phase set to start in 2012.
“Currently, larger cruise ships have to dock three miles out to sea,” he said. “By 2013, this is set to change, and (bigger) ships will be able to sail up alongside the terminal.”
According to Sodikin, Benoa was in a strategic location as “we are the halfway point for cruise ships sailing between Singapore and Australia”. “We also have the advantage of being close to an international airport (Ngurah Rai International Airport), making fly-cruises a real possibility,” he said.
Sodikin added that several cruise ships carrying an average of 2,000 pax were expected to make a total of 34 calls to Benoa this year. Some 38 calls are predicted for 2012.
Speaking at the recently concluded Cruise Shipping Asia 2011, Sapta Nirwandar, Indonesia’s vice minister of culture and tourism, said a target of 141,000 international cruise passengers had been set for 2012. Just over 94,000 foreign cruise passengers called on Indonesian ports last year.
Meanwhile, plans are underway to ensure that Indonesian ports comply with the International Ship and Port Facility Security Code, which prescribes responsibilities to governments, shipping companies, as well as onboard and port facility personnel to detect and take preventive measures against threats to security.
