Opening up Wakatobi as a world coral wonder

Andi Hajramurni, The Jakarta Post, Wakatobi

Wakatobi regency in Southeast Sulawesi is hoping to transform the area into an international tourist destination for diving enthusiasts.

An island chain spanning 18,000 square kilometers, 3,070 of which have been designated a national park, Wakatobi is home to 65 diving spots and at least 942 fish species and around 750 coral species -- or more than 90 percent of the 850 coral species in the world.

Wakatobi Regent Hugua said the biggest stumbling block was the lack of supporting infrastructure such as hotels, restaurants and an airport, as Wakatobi can only be reached by sea from Bau-Bau or the province capital of Kendari.

There is an airstrip in Tomia district, but it is privately owned by one of the two dive operators in Wakatobi and only serves chartered flights.

"The most pressing matter right now is for the local administration to open up the area by building an airport ... so tourists can easily reach the area," Hugua said recently.

"So far, guests only use the sea route, which is risky due to waves that can reach four to five meters."

The administration has set aside Rp 40 billion (US$4.4 million) to build an airport with a runway of 1,800 to 2,100 meters, Hugua said. Construction is slated to begin January and last to the end of the year.

The Wakatobi administration will also build airstrips in Kaledupa and Binongko districts, while hoping private investors will open hotels and restaurants.

"We have encouraged investors to build international standard hotels and restaurants this year, but if there aren't any, we will build them ourselves," said Hugua.

Such facilities, said Hugua, must be immediately realized to reach the target of turning the area into a major tourist destination and improve the local economy and people's welfare.

To accommodate investors, the administration said it would expedite business permit issuance and offer tax holidays.

Only two tour operators currently operate in Wakatobi, the Wakatobi Dive Resort in Tomia, which caters to tourists from Europe, the United States and the Middle East, and Wallacea in Hoga, which provides services to overseas researchers.

In the last two years, the two operators brought in some 3,000 foreign tourists.

"The figure would be much higher (if we had suitable) facilities. Currently, visitors who wish to visit the Wakatobi Dive Resort have to wait three years for their turn," said Hugua.

The Wakatobi administration will provide credit loans of up to Rp 40 billion to residents to renovate their homes into homestays or lodgings for tourists, he said.

"For the administration, the most important thing is how to realize our tourism potential, because it will spur on the local economy," said Hugua.

To protect its marine resources, the administration said it would implement operating regulations, such as prohibiting Wakatobi residents, who are mostly fishermen, from using fish bombs and poison.

Formed in 2003, the regency comprises 39 islands, seven of them inhabited. The names of four of the larger islands -- Wangi-wangi, Kaledupa, Tomia and Binongko -- make up the acronym of Wakatobi.