Two Cruise Ship Operators Start Sailing from Singapore to Bali This July

TheIndonesia.id - The Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy, Sandiaga Uno, initiated cruise ship tours to Indonesia starting in July 2022 when he met with the two largest cruise ship operators in Singapore, Royal Caribbean and Resort World Cruises. The two cruise ship operators offer tour packages to Indonesia which include Batam Island and Bintan Island in the Riau Archipelago, Surabaya in East Java, Bali Island, Belitung Island, and Lombok Island in West Nusa Tenggara.

"We have held a meeting with cruise ship operators and there are several agreements to start cruise ship tours this year. This is big news, very strategic, and very significant in the recovery of Indonesia's tourism and creative economy," said Uno, in Singapore, Wednesday, June 1, 2022.

Cruise ship tourism will start soon this year which includes Batam-Bintan-Surabaya-Bali route. Next year, Belitung and Lombok Island will be added. “These two big companies have committed to organizing this cruise. This is very beneficial for both parties because it will promote priority tourism destinations in Indonesia which will open up business opportunities and also jobs that are very much needed in the recovery of our tourism sector," he said.

Indonesia does not provide special incentives for cruise ship managers, but only facilitated related regulations. "The incentives themselves are destination areas, culture, natural wealth, human resources, local wealth," he said.

One tour package offered is in northern Bali considering that the tourism sector in the area has not been optimally exploited. Before Bali's capital moved to Denpasar, Singaraja in Buleleng Regency, northern Bali, was the capital. Uno himself plans to try out the sensation of riding a cruise ship to Surabaya and North Bali as a form of support and ensure the whole process himself.

Deputy for Strategic Policy for Tourism and Creative Economy, Nia Niscaya, added that the cruise ship tourism market to Indonesia already exists, it just needs to be executed. However, she continued, a collaboration between various stakeholders is needed, such as with the Ministry of Transportation regarding licensing.

Resort World Cruises Singapore's Chief Operating Officer, Raymond Lim Jiun Yan, expressed their readiness to re-cruise Indonesian waters and hoped that there would be no significant obstacles to cruise ship tourism in July and August this year.

Genting Dream from Resort World Cruises will begin cruises in July and December 2022 with 1,700 rooms out of a total capacity of 3,500 rooms. Meanwhile, Royal Caribbean Cruise which reaches 4,800 rooms will cross Benoa on the island of Bali and Lombok Island.