"We must improve tourism in Bali which so far focuses more on flights," he said while monitoring the BMTH project in Denpasar, Bali, on Sunday.
He continued that currently, the Benoa Port in Denpasar, which is the location of the BMTH, can accommodate up to around 30 yachts and two cruise ships at the same time.
Thohir added that the yachts come from several countries, including those in the Southeast Asian region.
Later, after the capacity expansion, there would be more yachts, including those from Australia and Europe, docking at the hub.
State-owned port operator PT Pelabuhan Indonesia (Pelindo) recorded that in 2023, 48 cruise ships docked at Benoa Port with up to 77,864 passengers served.
The BMTH, one of the national strategic projects, is also expected to be the gate to travel around the Eastern Indonesia region, including Labuan Bajo and Raja Ampat.
According to him, the construction of several infrastructures in the project is currently being accelerated, one of which is road access which is targeted for completion by September 2024.
Meanwhile, the construction of gates, expansion of passenger terminals, and public facilities of the BMTH have been completed.
The minister noted that the government has invested three trillion rupiahs (around 186.85 million dollars) for the BMTH project that is expected to be inaugurated in October this year.
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Translator: Dewa Ketut, Raka Adji
Editor: Aditya Eko Sigit Wicaksono
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