The port would facilitate growing number of international tourist boats visiting that area, the minister told reporters here on Friday.
Arief Yahya was here to attend a meeting to strengthen tourism cooperation between the East Nusa Tenggara provincial administration and a US operator of international tourist boats, Carnival.
The meeting took place on board the Pacific Eden that landed on the Benoa port, Bali, on Thursday.
Also attending the meeting include Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, Transport Minister Budi Karya Sumadi and East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) Governor Frans Lebu Raya.
Arief said the budget for the marina project in Labuan Bajo, which is one of the countrys 10 priority destinations would include fund from the state budget and the private sector.
"With the fund we would build a big and long port in Labuan Bajo to allow international pleasure boats to land there," the minister said.
He said around the same amount of budget has also been set aside by the government in cooperation with the private sector for development of an airport named Komodo Airport in Labuan Bajo.
The airport is named after the Komodo island, the habitat of Komodo, the ancient giant lizards, found only in the Indonesian island, which one of World wonders.
NTT Governor Frans Lebu Raya said the Central Government supports the tourism cooperation with Carnival.
"The central government would built the marina, to be completed in 2019, at Labuan Bajo and various other supporting facilities to make Lbuan Bajo a "home port" for international pleasure boats," he said.
Labuan Bajo would be the main gate for tourists coming on board pleasure boats to visits tourist objects in Flores, Lembata, Alor and Sumba, he said, adding the port is designed to be able to accommodate tourist boat with thousands of passengers.
The port would contribute to economic development in that area with thousands of foreign tourists expected to visit and land at the port when it is operational, he said.
The problem so far is NTT has no modern marine to accommodate international tourist boats, he said.(*)
Editor: Heru Purwanto
Copyright © ANTARA 2017
