Govt prefers DEMA Show to ADEX

Globally, Jro Wacik said, marine tourism received less attention. Promotions and facilities to support it are lacking. Those supporting facilities among others are boats, diving equipments, and fishing tools. “I need time to talk to marine tourism business players. Hence my future program will fit market’s and industry’s needs,” he said answering BB in conjunction to the program to develop Indonesian marine tourism.

He also conceded that all this time his department tended to choose DEMA/Dive Equipment and Marketing Association show in the US. For the future, similar regional event should be put on consideration, supported with act and funding.

Talking about marine tourism, Bali positions itself as a one of Indonesia’s destinations for such tourism. Albeit the not so well condition of Indonesian marine tourism compared to in other countries, its existence has an important role for Bali tourism. Among marine tourism lovers, Bali is the venue for surfing, diving, fishing, or a romantic dinner on a cruise.

Seeing the potential of marine tourism market, then, some tourism players actively market Bali’s marine tourism at international events, whether through special events such as ADEX (Asia Dive Expo) or DEMA. They also promote Indonesian marine tourism via international tourism bourses such as ITB (Internationale Tourismus Bourse) Berlin, World Tourism Mart London, ASEAN Tourism Forum, JATA, to tourism events in China. Special for ADEX 2005 in Bangkok, taking place from March 31 to April 1, Bali’s Tourism authority with Gahawisri (Association of Indonesian Marine Tourism’s Entrepreneurs), will present Bali’s products in two booths.
“We have proposed budget some Rp 40 million to rent and decorate the booths,” said Mayun Rasmin, the Sub Head of Control of Bali’s Tourism Authority, while adding the money had not been received.

As known Bali’s budget, has not been approved yet, this creates a bit problem to the authority of tourism that has scheduled its participations at some travel marts overseas.
For March to April, tourism industries in Bali and Bali’s Tourism Authority have participated and are going to participate in ITB Berlin, MATTA Fair (Kuala Lumpur), and ADEX 2005 (Bangkok).

Two booths

In the meantime, information by ADEX holders, Indonesian participants for ADEX also come from Sumatra, Sulawesi, Kalimantan, and East Nusa Tenggara/NTT (17 dive operators from all those regions), besides Bali.

Also registered were North Sulawesi’s Promoting Board, and Gorontalo’s Tourism Authority.
According to the head of Bali’s Gahawisri, Yos K Amertha, the two booths rented by Bali were the contributions of Bali’s Tourism Authority. “We of Gahawisri and Bali’s Tourism Authority will fill the two booths. The authority will promote Bali’s marine tourism objects and we will sell the facilities and the packages,”

He said further, Thailand, Singapore, and Malaysia, made intense promotions to promote their marine tourisms, especially through ADEX, making the activities of marine tourism at those countries running good that they were able to accelerate tourism in wide sense.
Compared to the potential owned by Indonesia, the potentials of those countries, particularly Singapore, in marine tourism will be small.

“In spite of the fact that Singapore has no wealth in marine tourism, only owning an artificial object; it is able to attract foreign travelers. “We should make promotions more intense whether through exhibitions and advertisements (whether printed or electronic) to develop our marine tourism,” said Yos.

Malaysia and Thailand, similar with Singapore, place marine tourisms in a strategic plan at their tourism, hence it is not astonishing for their marine tourism to develop so well.
He mentioned it was for the first time for Thailand in 2004, to issue dive certificates surpassing Australia that all this time was considered as a country successful in managing marine tourism. Thailand issued around 85, 000 and Australia 80,000 certificates.
In the meantime, Malaysia has issued 20 of thousands of certificates, leaving Indonesia far behind with 7 of thousands of certificates. Those certificates were for beginners; meanwhile for the experienced (professional) ones could reach four times of the beginners.
Therefore, Yos said the market of marine tourism, particularly diving, was very great. Indonesia has just taken a small fraction of it; in fact it has diverse marine potentials compared to other countries.

“Marine tourism has not been exploited seriously in our country due to the non-existent of a strategic plan in tourism. This should be realized and the joining of Department of Culture and Tourism in ADEX should open our eye on the great potential of marine tourism,” Yos said. *dwi/ant/pry

GREAT ACTUALLY-Despite the huge potential owned by Indonesia for marine tourism, it has not been well exploited.

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