Alit Kartarahardja, The Jakarta Post, Lovina, Buleleng | Wed, 09/22/2010 10:39 AM
More than a hundred yachts from 19 countries are expected to arrive in Buleleng regency on Sept. 22 as one of many port calls for Sail Indonesia 2010.
Buleleng cultural office head Putu Tastra Wijaya told reporters that he had received confirmation from the organizing committee that all 106 yachts participating in the international maritime event would spend four days of their three-month journey, from Sept. 22 to 25, at Lovina Beach.
The annual event was organized by the Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Ministry, the Culture and Tourism Ministry, provincial governments and the Cinta Bahari Foundation to promote Indonesia as a maritime country and to showcase the country’s cultural and marine wealth.
Sail Indonesia participants departed from Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia, on July 24. The yachts stopped to participate at a series of events and cultural festivals at ports throughout Indonesia, including Timor, Banda, Ambon, Buton, Lembata, Wakatobi, Flores, Sulawesi, Bali, Java, Kalimantan and Belitung. The flotilla will continue from Bali to the voyage’s last stop in Batam, Riau Islands; which is just south of Singapore.
Event organizers added port calls at Rote Ndao in East Sumba, and at Saba and Bau Bau. The sailors are expected to visit 22 provinces and regencies during the voyage.
Wijaya said that Buleleng administration has already prepared to cultural and tourist activities to welcome more than 400 Sail Indonesian 2010 participants.
“This is a valuable promotional activity for Buleleng regency. We will take them to visit several tourist sites in North Bali,” he said.
He added that the arrival of Sail Indonesia 2010 vessels would also benefit the regency’s economy as they would stay at local hotels and spend money on food.
If each participant spends US$50 per day, Buleleng would reap Rp 5 billion ($560,000) during the four-day visit, he said.
