REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, MADRID -- Spain Tourism Minister, Isabel Maria Borrego Cortes, put her attention for Indonesian marine tourism. She said she wanted to make a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Indonesia, as a follow-up cooperation in the field of marine tourism.
"There will a cruise, yacht, construction of marina, and port to lean and park boats. We will soon open opportunity," said Isabel Maria, in her meeting with Minister of Tourism Arief Yahya in one of the largest tourism exhibition in the world, 'Feria Internacional de Turismo' in Madrid, Friday (4/12).
The exhibition became a promotional event and third largest tourism exhibition in the world, after ITB Berlin and WTM London. Isabel Maria explained Spain could invite 68 million foreign tourists in a year.
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"A fantastic achievement and become one of the backbone of a foreign exchange of Spain. We came to Madrid for learning the success," said Arief Yahya.
One step would be doing was planning to send lecturers or students from four tourism universities, namely STP Bandung, STP Bali, Medan Tourism Academy and Makassar Tourism Academy, to Spain.
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According to him, Indonesia needed investment in marine tourism, such as yachts base and cruise pier. Indonesia, which has 70 percent of the coral in the world which spread across 17,500 islands from Sabang to Merauke, has to be able to emulate Spain successful in developing marine tourism.