Bali to build new cruise ship port

Wasti Atmodjo, The Jakarta Post, Denpasar

The Bali provincial administration plans to build a special port for cruise ships at Labuan Amuk in Karangasem in a bid to help boost tourism on the resort island, an official says.

Putu Ardana, head of the Bali Transportation Office, said the infrastructure costs for the port project would be covered by funds from the state budget amounting to Rp 130 billion (US$14,400).

The project is expected to be completed in 2009, he said, adding the port would be designed to accommodate large-scale single or double-deck cruise ships measuring 360 meters by 50 meters.

"The completion and operation of the port will constitute the first cruise ship port in Indonesia," said Karangasem's transportation office head, Nengah Parwata.

The first stage of the project is currently underway, he said.

Putu said Labuan Amuk was considered to be the best location for the construction of the new port as it was near a deep sea lane.

Ardana compared it with Benoa harbor, another alternative location.

"In Benoa, the water is too shallow and it would be too difficult to dredge. In Labuan Amuk, there is no need to dredge," he added.

He added the infrastructure currently being built included office buildings, a berth, terminal, health and security posts, immigration office and other supporting facilities.

According to Karangasem Tourism Office data, a number of cruise ships frequently made stops at Padang Bai Port, near Labuan Amuk Port, en route to Lembar Port in Lombok.

One such cruise ship is the Costa Marina, which berthed there on Feb. 4 and 5, 2007, transporting about 772 passengers.

Next month, a cruise ship with as many as 2,000 passengers and another with 684 passengers is expected to berth there, while next year three other cruise ships - the Amsterdam, Black Watch and Silver Whisperalso plan to berth in Bali.

Parwata said cruise ship passengers were usually senior citizens. Using small boats they land at Karangasem for one or two days.

"Some of them visit Karangasem and surrounding areas, including Besakih, Candidasa and others. Several others go to Ubud or Kuta," he said.

Parwata said in order to support the port project, the Karangasem regency administration had cleared a 1.5-hectare plot of land. The surrounding areas, which consisted mostly of agricultural land, had also been blocked to prevent any alterations, he said.

Compensation was still being negotiated, he added.

The Bali Tourism Alliance has hailed the project.

"We support it because it will diversify our tourist arrivals," said the alliance's coordinator Gusti Kade Sutawa. He urged the provincial administration to carefully prepare its spatial planning to avoid unexpected impacts.

Kade Sutawa also proposed the preparation of professional human resources to help introduce Bali to the passengers.

"Local people will be appropriate in these positions as they know a lot about Bali."

Parwata added the many cruise ships that berth in Padang Bai or Benoa usually did so to refuel or get supplies. With the operation of the new port, the cruise ships would be able to drop off and pick up passengers from Bali. Travel agents would be able to arrange travel arrangements from the port as well, he said.

Up until now, passengers wishing to enjoy the beauty of the eastern parts of Indonesia have been forced to board cruise ships in other countries, like Singapore.

"With the operation of the port, tourists can fly to Bali and enjoy Balinese culture before boarding the cruise ships or vice versa," Parwata said.

With the completion of the port project, Bali will be able to obtain additional income. The use of transportation services and accommodation will surely increase too, he said.

From Bali the cruise ships could go eastward, for example to Lombok, Fores, Alor, Sulawesi and Papua, Parwata said, adding the port would also benefit these other regions.