9 Cruise Ships to Visit Lombok This Year

TheIndonesia.id - Authority has revealed that at least nine cruise ships will visit Lombok this year and bring thousands of international tourists to the island.

State-owned operator PT Pelabuhan Indonesia (Pelindo) III Lembar branch confirmed that the nine ships have completed registration to dock in West Nusa Tenggara’s famous tourist destination between February and December 2022.

“Nine ships have registered to come to Lombok, but the list is tentative because there might be additional ships during MotoGP Mandalika,” general manager of Pelindo III Lembar, Baharuddin, said in West Lombok on Thursday, January 6, as reported by Antara.

In March, Mandalika circuit in West Lombok regency will host the prestigious MotoGP race, after previously hosting the World Superbike (WSBK) championship in November. The upcoming international event is expected to bring a massive number of tourists, both domestic and foreign.

According to Baharuddin, Golden Horizon will dock in Gili Mas terminal at Lembar port on February 17, Norwegian Spirit on April 11, Royal Princes on September 5, Star Breeze on October 27, and the second Star Breeze on October 29. They will be followed by Viking Orion on November 23, Nordam and Viking Mars on December 12, and Vasco da Gama on the last date of the year.

On average, each ship can accommodate 1,500 to 2,000 passengers, but Baharuddin said one vessel in particular can take up to 5,000 passengers.

However, he added, the permission to dock will be granted by central government, and there has yet to be any confirmation on whether all applying ships will be granted the permit.

“As port operator, we’re only responsible to facilitate the arrival. The regulation is part of the government’s authority.”

The arrival of thousands of tourists from the visiting cruise ships is predicted to immediately create impact to local economy amid the contraction caused by COVID-19 pandemic, and all stakeholders within the tourism industry are expected to benefit from the opportunity.

Therefore, many concerning parties, including Pelindo, hoped the government will consider granting the permit while still emphasizing the necessary health protocols to be strictly implemented.