Jakarta. The city of Langgur in Maluku has made preparations for the arrival of yachts participating in Wonderful Sail 2 Indonesia Rally 2017.

"This year, Wonderful Sail 2 Indonesia will take place over three months and cover 17 destinations, starting from Langgur in Southeast Maluku [district] and ending at Batam [in Riau Islands province]. Langgur is ready to welcome [the yachters]," event organizer Raymond T Lesmana said in a statement on Tuesday (25/07).

Southeast Maluku Tourism Agency head Roy Rahajaan said the region is ready to host the visiting yachters.

"We have prepared 65 tourism destinations, both famous ones and some new ones. The main attraction currently is 100-meter-long cave near Ad Wearaur village on Kei Island," Roy said.

He expects the event to introduce the tourism potential of Southeast Maluku, which will help efforts attract more investment in the district's tourism sector.

Asep Muhammad, deputy chairman of the maritime tourism acceleration team at the Ministry of Tourism, also welcomed the participants in Wonderful Sail 2 Indonesia.

"Ambon in Maluku has been included in the 10 prioritized developments for underwater destinations. There are also Bali, Lombok in West Nusa Tenggara, Labuan Bajo and Alor in East Nusa Tenggara, Derawan in East Kalimantan, Bunaken in North Sulawesi, Togean in Central Sulawesi, Wakatobi in Southeast Sulawesi and Raja Ampat in West Papua," he said.

At least 150 foreign tourists traveling on 68 yachts are participating in this year's event, having departed from Opua in New Zealand for the Royal Papua Yacht Club in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea.

Yachters from Australia, New Zealand, the United States, Canada, Britain, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, Spain and France will participate in a tour of Indonesia's islands between July 23 and Oct. 20.

Tourism Minister Arief Yahya said the event will boost the country's tourism sector.

"The government supports the event to accelerate the development of tourism and improve people's welfare," he said.

Arief added that the government will also focus on improving services for yacht tourism.

"Starting from clearance, customs, immigration, quarantine and port masters, we should go all out to support efforts to make Indonesia's yacht tourism sector compete with global players," the minister said.