Through a press release in Jakarta on Monday, Pandjaitan met with Chief Strategy Officer Joe Carr and General Manager of WSL Graham Stapelberg in New York, the United States, on Sunday.
"We should cooperate with the government of Indonesia to hold a surfing tournament at good and beautiful locations," Stapelberg stated.
The WSL is a governing body for professional surfers and is dedicated to showcasing the world`s best talent in a variety of progressive formats.
Until the 90s, Bali was still known as a surfing paradise with several popular beaches, such as Uluwatu, Padang-Padang, and Kuta.
"However, in the late 90`s, professional surfers began looking for other beaches with waves that were ideal for surfing. G Island and Desert Point in Lombok offer great challenges to surfers," Stapelberg remarked.
Meanwhile, Carr remarked that the agency has the largest tournament market in Australia and the United States, with a total audience of two million.
The Surfing League is currently exploring the possibility of holding competitions in Bali or Indonesia and other regions, such as Africa.
The effort could be a promotional event for Indonesian tourism, such as Gili in Lombok and Mentawai in West Sumatra, especially for the US and Australian markets.
The league plans to hold a tournament in Lombok to attract tourists.
"We also plan to organize a tournament in Nias around September next year. We held a world surfing tournament in Bali last year, and according to a survey conducted by third parties, the economic impact can reach 12 million to billion US dollars and open hundreds of jobs for local people," Carr noted.
On the occasion, Pandjaitan welcomed the idea of WSL. He also revealed that the government of Indonesia was focusing on development in the tourism sector.
"This is a good idea. The world surf tournament can support the promotion of Indonesian tourism," he noted.
The minister urged the WSL to record the league`s needs.
"We have built infrastructure to facilitate access for surfers in Bali, Nias, and Mentawai," he added.
Reporting by Ade Irma Junida
Editing by Azis Kurmala, Rahmad Nasution
Reporter: antara
Editor: Heru Purwanto
Copyright © ANTARA 2018
