The participants, comprising of senior high school, maritime school, and university students, as well as marine cadets, were aboard four warships, namely KRI Dewa Ruci, KRI Bima Suci, KRI Banda Aceh, and Dr. Soeharso, that departed from Tanjung Priok Seaport, North Jakarta.
They will sail for 28 days and join Sail Sabang international maritime event, which will be held from Nov 28 to Dec 5, 2017.
Sail Sabang is not merely an ordinary maritime tourism event, but it is aimed at accelerating developmental program in the region, particularly infrastructure and economic development, Pandjaitan remarked.
"The Government wants to develop Indonesia from the sidelines by strengthening regions and villages within the frame of unitary state. The `sweetness` of development must not only be enjoyed by people living in Java but also by people all over Indonesia fairly and equally," he revealed.
Indonesia has huge maritime tourism potential, he stated, adding that the country, which is the world`s largest archipelago, has maritime economic potential worth US$1.33 trillion per year.
Tourism is currently the second largest means of foreign exchange after oil palm in Indonesia. By 2019, tourism is expected to be the largest foreign exchange earner.
The government has been intensifying the country`s marine tourism promotion internationally, among other things, through Sail Indonesia, which is held in Sabang, Aceh Province, this year, he remarked.
Meanwhile, as many as 1,220 hotel rooms in Indonesia`s westernmost Island of Sabang have been fully booked during the annual national event.
About 1,220 hotel rooms in the westernmost island of Sabang, in Aceh Province, have already been fully booked by guests, Accommodation Section head of Sail Sabang`s Committee, Daud, stated.
"All the hotel rooms have already been fully booked. We would offer home stays or rented houses for the incoming tourists," he explained.
Furthermore, he predicted that the event would attract around 5 thousand local and international visitors.
The event, under the theme of "Towards Sabang, World`s Marine Tourism Destination Gate," would be inaugurated by Indonesian President Joko Widodo on Dec 2.
The main locations for Sail Sabang are Sabang Bay or CT3 BPKS Sabang Port, Sabang Fair, and Indonesia`s Kilometer Zero Tower.
Aceh Cultural and Tourism Office (Disbudpar) head, Reza Fahlevi, explained that around 80 percent of the preparation for the event had already been completed.
"Yes, right now, about 80 percent of preparations have been completed," Fahlevi revealed in Ulee-Lheue Port, Banda Aceh, on Saturday.
Previously, Sail Indonesia series were held among other things in Bunaken, North Sulawesi in 2009; Morotai, North Maluku in 2012; Komodo, East Nusa Tenggara in 2013; Raja Ampat, West Papua in 2014; and Sail Tomini, Central Sulawesi in 2015.
reported by Ade Irma Junida
(T.SYS/A/KR-BSR/A/H-YH)
Reporter: Antara
Editor: Heru Purwanto
Copyright © ANTARA 2017
