Denpasar, Bali, (Antara Bali) - The Indonesia Port Corporation, or Pelabuhan Indonesia (Pelindo III), is scheduling 60 cruise ships to arrive at Benoa Port, Bali, General Manager of Pelindo III Ali Sodikin remarked here on Monday.
"This year, we will welcome 60 cruise ships. On January 1, a cruise ship named `Sapphire Princess` with 2.6 thousand tourists has arrived in Benoa. This is a positive indication for tourism in Bali," he noted.
The cruise ship departed from Singapore to Klang Port, Malaysia, and arrived in Benoa. It will later depart for Australia.
According to Ali, the foreign tourists aboard the cruise ship, which anchored in Denpasar, are scheduled to visit several tourist attractions such as Sanur, Kuta, Uluwatu, Gianyar, and Tanah Lot.
"The tourists on board the cruise liners visit Bali, and their numbers keep increasing from year to year. In 2013, there were 43 cruise ships, and their number increased to 50 in 2014. In 2015, their number is expected to increase further," Ali pointed out.
He stated that each cruise liner has more than a thousand tourists on board. Therefore, the estimated number of tourist arrivals to Benoa Port reached fifty thousand in 2014.
"In addition to boarding cruise ships, the tourists also use yachts. So, the number of foreign tourists visiting Denpasar via the Benoa Port is more than fifty thousand," Ali claimed. (MFD)
