The Tourism Ministry is aiming to attract up to 5,000 yachts to visit Indonesia in 2019.

'€œWe have set a target of attracting 1,500 yacht visits in 2015; 4,000 in 2018; and 5,000 in 2019,'€ said Tourism Minister Arief Yahya during the 2015 Indonesia Yacht Forum in Jakarta on Friday as quoted by kompas.com.

To accommodate the infrastructure needs of this maritime tourism, the ministry plans to build 100 marinas in the next five years. Four of them will be built this year, including one in Banyuwangi, East Java.

'€œThe turning of the sod for the marina in Banyuwangi will take place in September,'€ said Arief.

In line with the target for numbers of yacht visits, the ministry also expects foreign tourist numbers to reach 8,000 in 2019. Arief cited Australia as a good example of well-developed marinas for handling maritime tourism.

'€œIn Australia, we can see yachts lining up neatly, themselves an interesting attraction for foreign tourists coming to the country,'€ said Arief.

Held for three days until Sunday, the Indonesia Yacht Forum is a yacht exhibition held in Marina Batavia, Sunda Kelapa, West Jakarta. (edn/kes)(++++)

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