"The Orien will conduct four visits."Denpasar (ANTARA News) - Benoa seaport in Bali will welcome the cruise ship Seven Seas Voyager with 700 tourists, an official of the Tourism and Creative Economic Ministry has said.
The Tourism Development affairs director of the Tourism and Creative Economic Ministry, Rizki Handayani, announced here on Thursday that the cruise ship is expected to arrive in the Benoa seaport on December 19, 2012.
Speaking at a coordination meeting to prepare for the ship`s visit, Rizki said that all involved agencies, including the offices of transportation, tourism, and the Benoa port managing company, should prepare for the ship`s arrival.
The other cruise ships scheduled to arrive at the Benoa seaport are the Seabourn Odyssey and Orien.
Seabourn Odyssey and Orien will carry 450 and 400 passengers respectively, the official noted.
"The Orien will conduct four visits, on August 24, October 20 and 22 and November 1," the official said.
According to Rizki, during 2012 Indonesia will receive 200 cruise ships at the country`s seaport, carrying 118,800 tourists.
Previously, Tourism and Creative Economic Minister Marie Elka Pangestu announced that the government would deepen ten seaports, including Benoa port in Bali, so they can receive cruise ships.
The ten seaports will be renovated and deepened up to 12 meters, the minister said here last Saturday after attending the students` inauguration of the Bandung Tourism High School (STP).
The next seaports to be improved are in Semarang, Surabaya, Jakarta, Makassar and Kalimantan, she noted.
Mari said these seaports were chosen because of their access to tourism locations.
Citing an example, Mari said plans call for renovating the seaport in Probolinggo, East Java due to its access to the Bromo tourist resort in Tengger and its environs, as well as Tanjung Puting in Kalimantan province.
The Tourism and Creative Economic Ministry has coordinated plans with the ministries of transportation, public works, and the immigration and custom office, in an effort to prepare for the arrival of cruise ships in Indonesia, Mari added.
(Uu.B003/INE/KR-BSR/S012)
Editor: Priyambodo RH
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