Jakarta (ANTARA) - State-owned port operator Pelindo has established collaboration with Resorts World Cruises to support the growth of maritime tourism in Indonesia.

The cooperation was marked by the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the two parties, according to a statement released by Pelindo here on Wednesday.

"The MoU signing marks a new chapter in the domestic maritime tourism industry and affirms Indonesia's position as the main cruise destination in the Asian region," director of Pelindo, Putut Sri Muljanto, said in the statement.

He expressed the hope that with the start of this collaboration, there will be an increase in cruise ship visits to Indonesia.

Through the MoU, Pelindo and Resorts World Cruises have agreed to collaborate and explore the potential for future cooperation and joint development of the cruise terminal business at ports throughout the country.

The agreement also includes a commitment to increase cruise ship visits to ports managed by Pelindo.

In addition, the two will work together to promote the tourism and cruise industry as well as the development of and services on cruise ships plying domestic routes.

Muljanto said that Pelindo, as the largest port operator in Indonesia, is ready to support cruise ship dockings in Indonesia.

There are more than 20 ports managed by Pelindo that can serve cruise ships, including Tanjung Priok, Tanjung Perak, Tanjung Emas, Belawan, Makassar, Benoa, Gili Mas, Labuan Bajo, and Sorong, he informed.

"The next step is to strengthen the connectivity between the ports in the west and east so that the distribution of tourists can be more even," he stated.

He further revealed that Pelindo is boosting the Bali Maritime Tourism Hub infrastructure and the Gili Mas Port in Lombok, East Nusa Tenggara.

"So that these ports can become the main destination for cruise ships in the eastern region of Indonesia," he said.

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