Benoa Port to Become Cruise Terminal: Bali

According to the Department of Culture and Tourism, Bali’s southern seaport of Benoa is being prioritized for development as an international standard turn-around port for cruise vessels.In a report carried in Bisnis Indonesia, the government is reportedly seeking to equip the Benoa Port facility with hotels and amusement centers seen as necessary supports to a passenger port facility. The report also says that the provincial government of Bali has been asked to undertake dredging in various parts of the current harbor to allow visits by larger vessels.

The Secretary General of the Department of Culture and Tourism, Sapta Nirwandar, told a meeting of sea-tourism operators: “We want Benoa to become a cruise ship terminal with the dimensions of an entertainment area in accordance with the dynamics exhibited by other international turn-around-ports. Benoa has become a priority for us.”

Sapta went on to explain that Benoa has become a top priority nationally for development as a turn-around-port out of consideration of the local potential for sea tourism. The leading tourism official also justified the decision of his department by pointing to the growing number of cruise passengers calling on the port of Benoa every year.

Source: Bali Discovery