T

he resort island of Bali will be able to receive more large cruise ships when the expansion of the Tanah Ampo Cruise Terminal is completed in 2013.

Head of the National Development Planning Agency (Bappenas) Armida Alisjahbana said in Jakarta on Tuesday that the expansion of the Tanah Ampo port would be one of the infrastructure projects offered to investors under a public private partnership (PPP) program.

Tanah Ampo seaport in Karangasem, Bali, is currently being operated by port operator Pelindo III and the local government.

The expansion project will include the extension of its wharf to enable it to receive cruise ships with international standards of between 300 to 500 meters in length.

At present, it can only receive cruise ships of 154 meters in length. The cruise ships, however, should drop anchor some 400 meters away from the wharf and small boats will transport the passengers and crew to a floating jetty to reach the terminal.

Armida said the preparation for the auction of the Tanah Ampo expansion project was almost complete. Many investors have expressed an interest in competing for the tender, including a Singapore-based port operator, she added.

According to data, the Tanah Ampo cruise terminal expansion will cost about US$28.3 million
(Rp 255 billion).

Meanwhile, Deputy Transportation Minister Bambang Susantono said Tanah Ampo was expected to become the main hub for cruise ships in Indonesia in 2013, while Denpasar’s Benoa Port would be the second hub.

“Pelindo III will repair Benoa because there is a constraint in the port’s sea groove,” Bambang told the Post.

Benoa is considered a suitable place to make a stopover due to its strategic position for ship routes sailing the southern regions of Asia and Australia.

Data from the Benoa Port office shows that, on average, 20 percent of cruise ships’ passengers disembark at ports, with each tourist spending around $45 at every stop.

It also reveals that ships’ crews account for 40 percent of visitors and spend around $30 each.

In addition, according to data from the Tourism and Creative Economy Ministry, as of September 2011, 178 cruise ships had docked in Indonesia, bringing 113,766 passengers, while in 2010, that figure stood at 198 cruise ships with a total of 94,228 passengers.

In 2012, the data indicates as many as 215 cruise ships are scheduled to visit Indonesian ports, bringing 137,279 passengers. (nfo)