Bali needs to preserve marine biodiversity
Denpasar, Bali Island, (ANTARA News) - Bali, as one of the world`s most famous tourist destinations, must preserve its marine diversity, apart from its culture and traditions, a local official said.
Bali does not have natural resources such as gold, silver or coal mines, as it only has a tourism industry that is expected to help improve the local people`s welfare, said I Gde Nurjaya, head of Bali`s provincial tourism office, said here on Tuesday.
He said the arts, traditions, and cultural potentials of the Balinese people must be maintained to support the tourism, he said.
In developing tourism, the government must not overexploit the country`s natural resources, he said. Tourism should be developed based on a sustainable development principle which could guarantee the welfare of the current and future generations, he said.
During January-August 2008, Bali, which is known for its beautiful beaches, received a total of 1.2 million foreign tourists, an increase of 20 percent from around one million visitors last year.
The Indonesian culture and tourism ministry has set the country`s optimistic 2009 foreign tourist attraction target at 6.7 million, or 6.2 percent above the figure achieved in 2008 (6.4 to 6.5 million).(*)
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Source: ANTARA News
Add comment December 11th, 2008