Indonesia Affirms Commitment To Blue Economy Bringing Benefits To Marine Tourism 

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The World Water Forum is being hosted in Bali until the 25th May.

With world leaders and climate experts all gathered to discuss the world’s relationship with water, Indonesia has confirmed that it is doubling down on its commitment to the blue economy.

A mission that will bring benefits to both local people and tourists. 

Speaking at an event titled ‘Blue Economy Innovation: for Shared Prosperity’ at the World Water Forum on Sunday, 19th May, the Acting Governor of Bali, Sang Made Mahendra Jaya, discussed Indonesia’s commitment to developing more innovative and inclusive strategies to encourage prosperity of coastal communities and sustainability in facing growing environmental challenges. 

During his talk, the Acting Governor said that the Bali Provincial Government is committed to managing marine resources in a sustainable manner in the context of economic growth.

He shared how the Balinese government is committed to prioritizing community participation, resource efficiency, creating double-added value, multiple revenue streams involving more labor, and producing minimal waste.

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A post shared by Sang Made Mahendra Jaya (@smahendrajaya89)

Acting Governor Jaya explained, “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, to encourage economic growth in the marine and fisheries industry, and to increase the welfare of society, especially coastal communities.”

The Acting Governor touched on Bali’s huge potential in the marine economy. He noted that areas where more investment would garner significant results, include fisheries consisting of capture fisheries, aquaculture and processing industry, marine biotechnology industry, marine tourism, inter-island and inter-provincial transportation, as well as non-conventional resources such as ocean thermal energy conservation in North Bali sea, deep sea water industry and salt industry which also have great potential. 

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A post shared by Sang Made Mahendra Jaya (@smahendrajaya89)

Specifically, Acting Governor Jaya discussed how more investment and focus on developing the blue economy would bolster Bali’s tourism development.

He shared how the sea has the potential to develop marine tourism along the Bali coastline.

This diversification of tourist attractions would help promote lesser visited areas of Bali, helping to further distribute tourism and mitigate the risks of overtourism.

Acting Governor Jaya said that with efforts to develop more marine tourism, tourism would develop alongside marine ecosystem protections that support sustainability and can provide community welfare benefits.

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The acting governor told the room, “All of this potential is developed by applying the values of local Balinese wisdom and avoiding excessive exploitation practices. By developing a blue economy based on local wisdom values, Balinese nature and culture will remain sustainable, while the Balinese people will live more prosperously.”

In the same session, the Minister of National Development Planning Suharso Monoarfa said the blue economy functions as a response to three crises: climate change, loss of biodiversity, and pollution and waste.

He said, “The blue economy is important because of its modality, considering that around 70% of our planet is covered by water.”

Marine tourism and ocean-based tourism activities are consistently amongst the most in-demand experiences in Bali.

Aside from the island’s work famous surfing scene, tourists from all around the world travel to Bali to snorkel, dive, and free dive.

Bali is famous for being one of the few places in the world where it is possible to snorkel with manta rays year-round, and the precious coral reef ecosystems that surround both Bali and the Nusa Islands mean that tourists can see for themselves one of the world’s most endangered ecosystems. 

Bali is a fantastic place to learn to surf and complete PADI diving certifications. While destinations like Canggu, Uluwatu, and Seminyak are best known for learning to surf, locations like Amed, Nusa Lembongan, and Nusa Ceningan are dreamy destinations to learn to div and free dive on the Island of the Gods.