Sail Indonesia Expected to Push Regional Economy

KUPANG, KOMPAS.com - The upcoming international marine event of Sail Indonesia from July to September 2011 is expected to push economic and tourism sectors in the regions, a tourism spokesman has said.

"Of a total of 109 participating yachts, 82 with around 328 sailors will set sail from Darwin, Australia, to Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), and thus it will have a positive impact on the economy and tourism in the province," NTT Culture and Tourism Office spokesman Abraham Klakik said here on Wednesday.

Abraham made the statement in relation with the economic impact of Sail Indonesia on the people in the islands where the yachts would make their stopover. The participating yachts of Sail Indonesia 2011 will depart from Darwin on Saturday, July 23, and make different stopovers at 11 points in East Nusa Tenggara, namely Kupang, Alor, Lembata, Maumere, Ende, Riung, Roten Ndao, Sabu, Sumba Timur, Sumba Tengah, and Labuan Bajo in the west point of Flores island.

According to Abraham, those areas have various economic potentials of fascinating marine, natural, cultural, and religious tourism for the participants. As in the past years the Local Administration of each of these Indonesian islands planned a number of events at the time of their visit which include a ceremonial welcome and dinner as well as cultural and arts displays and also dance performances.

The sail participants will be able so see some of the more remote and less developed parts of Indonesia as they cross the country often away from the well worn tourist areas. At each of these stopovers they will be able to meet different peoples and their cultures, different lifestyles, different arts, different crafts, wonderful foods and of course different languages.

"We hope the local tourism potential in NTT can be mapped and packaged well into a superior commodity to attract more domestic as well as foreign tourists," Ambraham said.