Labuan Bajo, East Nusa Tenggara, September 15, 2013 (ANTARA) -- President SBY officiated the peak event of the 2013 Sail Komodo in Labuan Bajo, West Manggarai regency, East Nusa Tenggara, on September 14. The inauguration was marked by the sailing pass of 21 Indonesia's warships and 7 government ships, and was followed by the yacht rally of 17 countries as well as the parade of five big boats. The event was also livened by the skydiving and Hell Water Jump attraction. The Minister of Fisheries and Marine Affairs Sharif C. Sutardjo as the Organizing Committee Chairman of Central Level of the 2013 Sail Komodo explained that the 2013 Sail Komodo is the fifth event of the Sails since 2009; 2009 Sail Bunaken, 2010 Sail Banda, 2011 Sail Wakatobi-Belitong, 2012 Sail Morotai and 2013 Sail Komodo. The 2013 Sail Komodo was participated by a number of engaged countries, such as Malaysia, Australia, Netherlands, Thailand, Phillipines, United States, and more. "The idea of all Sails' events is to boost the regional economic activity. The event becomes the momentum for Indonesia to further promote its marine tourism to the world," said the Minister.

Sharif continued that the sustainable people's welfare development is one of the key missions of the 2013 Sail Komodo. The Sails become such a role model of the promoting activity established to accelerate the islands and remote areas development. Furthermore, Since this year's Sail took place in around the Komodo National Park, it was expected that the event could bring much more benefit to people living along the Sail's route. "Through the 2013 Sail Komodo, we can surely further promote the Komodo National Park as the marine conservation in order to develop the blue economy. Therefore, the 2013 Sail Komodo brings the theme "2013 Sail Komodo: The Golden Bridge Making East Nusa Tenggara The World's Main Tourism Destination," explained him.

The 2013 Sail Komodo was established with a number of strategic objectives; to be a role model accelerating the islands and remote areas development; to raise the cross-ministerial/institutional program integration and synergy in order to ensure the sustanaible people's welfare development; to expand Indonesia's national and international tourism destination options; to re-establish the glory of Indonesia as a maritime nation; and to develop the yacht sailing routes in Indonesian waters.

The activities
The 2013 Sail Komodo activities included the 68th Indonesia's Independence Day Ceremony in the outermost island of Indonesia, the Social Service "Bhakti Kesejahteraan Rakyat Nusantara", the State-Owned Companies' Concerns to Komodo, the Cross-country of Kapal Pemuda Nusantara, Yacht Rally, the International Research
Boat Expedition, the Scientific Expedition to the Outermost Islands, the 2013 Derawan Festival, and the Maritime Sports event. "In addition, we also conducted the National and International Seminar discussing the tourism, culture, and nature potentials and the seminar discussing the nationalsm," added him.

Sharif continued that in organizing the yacht rally, the Committee partnered with three yacht operators; Sail Indonesia, Back to Down Under Rally, and Darwin Ambon Yacht Race. The operators are responsible to direct all of the yachters to their own routes, which was flagged-off in Kupang East Nusa Tenggara on August 4. The routes are divided in two routes; the north and south routes. The north route passes Kupang-Wini-Atapupu-Kalabahi-Lewoleba-Lembata-Larantuka-Maumere-Labuan Bajo. Meanwhile, the south route spans of Ba'a-Sabu Raijua-Sumba-Labuan Bajo. "The event is significantly beneficial to the tourism and economic development of East Nusa Tenggara. Thus, it's expected that the number of the tourists, both local and international, visiting East Nusa Tengggara will be increased annually," said Sharif.

To financially support the event, all of the involved ministries and institutions participated in funding allocation. Meanwhile, the local government is responsible to mobilize all of the local resources, both the Regional Government Budget and the provate-sector involvement. Just like all the past Sails, the 2013 Sail Komodo is an event that sustainably benefits the people. The event will obviously be a stimulating factor empowering local people develop their region better. "The 2013 Sail Komodo is proven to give positive impacts to the regional economic development. We can directly see that it provokes the formal and informal business sectors, like hotels, restaurants, and even home stays, which all of it will give nothing but the significant tourism development in here, East Nusa Tenggara," concluded him.

For further information, please contact Anang Noegroho, Acting Head of Statistic and Information Data Center, the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries - Phone: 0811806244

Editor: PR Wire
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