Bali to Host World Surfing Championship

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Bali is to host the 3rd series of surfing competitions from the World Surfing League or WSL Champions Tour 2019 which is planned to be held at Keramas Beach in Gianyar district, Bali, on May 13-25, 2019.    

The Tourism Ministry's Assistant Deputy on Marketing Development for Regional III, Ricky Fauziyani, said here Sunday that Indonesia was chosen as one of the 11 series of world surfing championship competitions from WSL.

"From Australia to Indonesia, then Brazil, South Africa, North America, France, and Hawaii. This is proof that Indonesia has world-class surfing destinations," said Ricky.

This championship entitled Corona Bali ProTected will be participated in by 56 surfers comprising 37 male surfer and 19 female surfer included in the list of the world's top surfers.

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While the Chairperson of the Tourism Ministry's Maritime Tourism Acceleration Team, Indroyono Soesilo, added that the government is looking at surfing potential as an Indonesian tourist attraction for foreign tourists.

"The government sees great potential from surfing. That's why, starting last year, we worked with WSL and provided support for several surfing events held in Indonesia," he said.

Indroyono said that Indonesia should be grateful to be blessed with many beaches with waves spread along the western and southern coast of the Indian Ocean and the coast of the Pacific Ocean.

"Indonesia has hundreds of surf beaches, 30 of which are world-class surfing locations. Of these 30 locations, 11 of them are the venue for WSL 2019 so that this will place Indonesia as the number one surfing destination in the world," Indroyono Soesilo said.

ANTARA