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  • 01 Sep 2015

 

Jakarta: Over 300 leaders from the business, government, and non-government sectors representing 17 countries are set to converge in Nusa Dua, Bali, Indonesia, on August 27-29, 2015 to map out policies, strategies, and share innovative means to promote sustainable marine tourism in the Coral Triangle – the world’s epicenter of marine biodiversity.

The leaders will attend the 4th Coral Triangle Initiative on Coral Reefs, Fisheries, and Food Security (CTI-CFF) Regional Business Forum, which carries the theme “Charting the Future of the Coral Triangle as a Global Sustainable Tourism Destination.”

The Coral Triangle

The Coral Triangle, dubbed the epicenter of marine biodiversity in the world, is home to over 2,000 different types of reef fish and 605 coral species. It covers the territories of Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Solomon Islands, and Timor-Leste.

Forum Components

The three-day forum, hosted by Indonesia’s Coordinating Ministry for Maritime Affairs, Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries, and Ministry of Tourism, will have three main components:

  • Coral Triangle Sustainable Marine Tourism Conference
  • Coral Triangle Marine Tourism Investment Forum and B2B Meetings
  • Coral Triangle Marine Tourism Expo

"Since the launch of the Coral Triangle Initiative in 2009, Indonesia has worked together with our partner countries to lead efforts in sustaining the Coral Triangle and we are very proud to host this Forum and welcome our fellow leaders and visionaries from the Coral Triangle region and the rest of the world to promote sustainable marine tourism agenda," said Safri Baharudin, Deputy of Human Resources, Science and Maritime Culture of Indonesia Coordinating Ministry for Maritime Affairs. 
“This forum is aligned to the vision of the government to strengthen Indonesia as a maritime nation.”

"This event will open up a number of responsible business opportunities, and increased investment from the private sector are important for the preservation of the Coral Triangle region's waters for a long period, and the millions of people who depend on the health of the oceans as a livelihood," said Director General of Marine, Coastal and Small Island Affairs, Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries.

Attendees

Attending the Forum are:

  • Hon. John Pundari, Papua New Guinea Minister of Environment and Conservation and Chair of the CTI-CFF Council of Ministers
  • Dato Seri Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz, Minister of Tourism and Culture Malaysia
  • Hon. Bartholomew Parapolo, Solomon Islands Minister for Culture and Tourism

High-ranking government officials from Philippines and Timor-Leste will also be joining the event, and U.S. Ambassador Robert Blake will give remarks on the forum’s second day.

Speakers

Leading Indonesian business leaders such as Francis Welirang (Director of PT Indofood Sukses Makmur and Founder of Indonesia Philanthropy Association) and Capt. Novianto Herupratomo (Executive VP of Garuda Indonesia), along with Ismail Ning (Chairman of the Indonesian Marine Association – GAHAWISRI), will be among the lead plenary speakers. International experts such as Luigi Cabrini (Global Sustainable Tourism Council Chairman of the Board and UN World Tourism Organization adviser) will also speak.

"Coral Triangle countries possess extraordinary natural resources, some of them constituting unique attractions and must conserve these resources as their capital for future generations. An approach which values social, economic and environmental sustainability is good not only for local communities and natural resources but provides marketing opportunities as an increasing share of visitors choose sustainable destinations for their holidays," Mr. Cabrini noted.

Forum Goals

The 4th CTI-CFF Regional Business Forum aims to:

  • Provide a platform for the discovery of innovative and collaborative solutions to promote best practices for responsible tourism.
  • Encourage private sector leadership in sustainable and responsible tourism.
  • Brand the Coral Triangle as a regional sustainable marine tourism destination that benefits local communities.

Tourism and Economic Impact

Coral Triangle countries possess abundant marine resources that attract tourists worldwide. However, the marine ecosystem is at risk due to tourism, including direct impacts like snorkeling and diving, and indirect impacts from infrastructure development and over-exploitation of marine resources.

Data from the World Travel and Tourism Council shows that in 2014, the travel and tourism industry in the six Coral Triangle countries contributed US$58 billion to the region’s GDP and provided direct employment to over 5 million people. Approximately US$3 billion in coastal tourism revenues are derived as annual foreign exchange income.

Importance for Indonesia

“Indonesia is well known for its marine biodiversity and has one of the largest areas in the Coral Triangle. It is very important to maintain the country’s underwater forests. The private sector needs to understand that no tourism will happen without sustainability. When government lacks resources, the private sector should stand hand in hand in protecting the area,” said Ismail Ning.

The forum coincides with Indonesia’s plan to develop the National Tourism Strategic Area (KSPN) from 8 maritime areas in 2014 to 25 areas in 2019. Tourism has seen continuous growth in areas such as Komodo National Park, Badung, Raja Ampat Islands, Wakatobi, and Sabang, with significant increases in foreign tourist arrivals over recent years.

“This forum is visionary in the sense that we recognize that promoting sustainable marine tourism can have tremendous impact in sustaining the rich biodiversity of the Coral Triangle and the lives and livelihoods of more than 120 million people who depend on it. We can only protect and sustain this unique resource if we engage all stakeholders including the private sector, local government leaders, and women leaders across the Coral Triangle region.” – Rili Djohani, Executive Director, Coral Triangle Center

Side Events & Support

The Forum will include side events such as a local government network leaders forum and a women leaders forum. It is co-organized by the CTI-CFF Regional Secretariat, USAID, US Department of the Interior, NOAA, and Coral Triangle Center, and supported by WWF, The Nature Conservancy, Conservation International, Tone, XL Axiata, and BNI.