Indonesia has reiterated its commitment to developing tourism around the blue economy. On Sunday, 19 May, the Acting Governor of Bali, Sang Made Mahendra Jaya, was a keynote speaker at the World Water Forum. Speaking at a seminar entitled ‘Blue Economy Innovation: for Shared Prosperity’, he outlined the government’s plans to implement “innovative and inclusive” strategies that will be the catalyst for prosperity in coastal communities and a driving force for solutions to environmental challenges.
During his speech, the Acting Governor noted that the Bali Provincial Government is working to conserve and utilise marine resources in a sustainable manner; supporting economic growth, while also ensuring climate impacts are mitigated. Central to these approaches is the engagement of coastal communities, efficient use of resources, the creation of added value, waste reduction and job creation.
“The aim of implementing this blue economy is to ensure the preservation of marine biodiversity and marine ecosystems as well as the coastal and marine environment in a sustainable manner,” said the Acting Governor, before adding that his wider aim is to “encourage economic growth in the marine and fisheries industry, and to increase the welfare of society, especially coastal communities.”
Bali is especially important to Indonesia’s marine economy. Here, the Acting Governor has already formulated a plan for investment which centres around capture fisheries, aquaculture and processing industries, complemented by state-sponsored development in marine biotechnology, marine tourism, inter-island and inter-provincial transportation, as well as non-conventional resources such as ocean thermal energy conservation in the North Bali Sea.
Acting Governor Jaya went on to discuss the various ways in which the blue economy would support Bali’s ongoing tourism development, with many new activities and destinations oriented towards the island’s spectacular coastline. He believes this diversification of tourist attractions can elevate a few of the more seldom-visited areas of Bali, thereby distributing tourism revenue, offering new opportunities for travel packages and reducing the risk of over tourism in more traditional tourism hotspots.
Acting Governor Jaya concluded his presentation by reiterating that government efforts to develop marine tourism in Bali and beyond will continue have sustainability at the core. These initiatives will be designed to provide tangible, lasting benefits to communities, while also encouraging economies to develop without negatively impacting the environment.
