Bali Maritime Tourism Hub Project Targeted for Completion in September 2024

TEMPO.CO, Benoa, Bali - The building of the Bali Maritime Tourism Hub, or BMTH, in Bali's Benoa Harbor neighborhood is still ongoing. The development of this national strategic project was closely evaluated by Erick Thohir, Minister of State-Owned Enterprises (BUMN).

Erick Thohir targets the construction of the Benoa BMTH to be completed in September 2024. This was revealed by the Minister of BUMN during a visit to the project site. "With the support of the Regional Government and related Ministries such as the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, as well as the Ministry of Transportation, it is hoped that BMTH can be completed on target," said Erick in a written statement, Sunday, May 12, 2024.

It is hoped that BMTH will be able to create a tourism ecosystem in Bali and have the potential to produce a big effect that contributes to Bali's Gross Regional Domestic Product or GRDP up to 2.7 times. "As well as increasing foreign tourist visits to Benoa Harbor 1.5 times and domestic tourists up to 2 times," he said.

He added that the presence of BMTH has become an attraction for foreign tourists via cruise ships. In 2023, Benoa Harbor will successfully become a berth for 48 cruises with a passenger flow of 77 thousand people. This is an indication of the potential for increasing new tourist visits to Bali from the sea side. Apart from that, BMTH will also attract the upper class tourist market.

This year, with various capacity additions at BMTH, Erick is sure the number will increase. BMTH is a national strategic project launched by PT Pelabuhan Indonesia or Pelindo which is developing Benoa Harbor, Bali, into a leading maritime tourism hub.

BMTH integrates the tourism, port and entertainment sectors and is claimed to be able to create a multiplier effect for regional and national economic growth.

Pelindo Main Director Arif Suhartono explained that during the work, BMTH employed around 1,900 local workers for its construction. This project is expected to encourage local economic growth and open new job opportunities for people around the Benoa area.

"The progress of BMTH construction has now reached 93 percent and in accordance with the direction of the Minister of BUMN, it will be completed in September 2024," said Arif.

From the official Pelindo website, it is stated that as marine tourism in Indonesia, BMTH is connected to domestic and international tourism routes. As an example; Lombok, Labuan Bajo and Raja Ampat are connections to the east. On the other hand, to the West, there are Surabaya, Probolinggo, Semarang, Jakarta and various regions of Sumatra. Meanwhile, international connectivity is to the ASEAN region and Australia.

ILONA ESTHERINA

Editor’s Choice: Forbes Top 10 Richest People in Singapore in 2024

Click here to get the latest news updates from Tempo on Google News