Seaports as Tourist Destinations

Kompas/Abdullah Fikri Ashri

Visitors take photographs of the KRI Dewaruci idling at Linggarjati dock of Cirebon Port in Cirebon, West Java, Sunday (27/8). Cirebon Port, which is usually quiet, has suddenly turned into a tourist destination for thousands of visitors from within and around Cirebon.

CIREBON, KOMPAS – Indonesian ship KRI Dewa Ruci became the talk of the town when it docked at the Cirebon seaport in West Java on Sunday (27/8/2017). The ship’s visit and locals’ enthusiasm served as momentum for the development of coastal tourism in Cirebon, which is rife with untapped potential.

On Sunday, Cirebon seaport’s Linggarjati dock, where the KRI Dewa Ruci was moored, was jam-packed with thousands of people from Cirebon and beyond. Vehicles carrying people to see the tall ship snaked outside the port. Coal dust and a pot-holed road did not dissuade people from coming to see the legendary ship.

KRI Dewa Ruci is a training tall ship for cadets of the Naval Academy (AAL). The 64-year-old ship, which has sailed to, Africa, America, Asia and Europe, was in Cirebon for the maiden voyage of the second-year AAL cadets of Class 65.

Visitors jostled their way to the 58.3-meter-long and 9.5-meter-wide ship. With its masts measuring 35.87 meters and 32.5 meters high, the ship was the perfect backdrop for selfies.

Around the ship, more than 20 stalls, including one promoting local Cirebon products, brightened the atmosphere. “This is an extraordinary experience for me to be able to see firsthand the KRI Dewa Ruci,” said Muhamad Malkat, an 11th grader at SMK Yasmi Gebang vocational high school in Cirebon regency. Together with 21 of his friends, he departed from Gebang, which is 24 kilometers from the seaport, on Sunday morning.

Last year, Malkat also visited the Cirebon seaport to participate in a Maritime Special Scout Troop. “We studied and enjoyed a tour here,” he said.

KOMPAS/ABDULLAH FIKRI ASHRI

KRI Dewaruci idling at Linggarjati dock of Cirebon Port in Cirebon, West Java, Sunday (27/8).

Maritime tourism

For locals, the KRI Dewa Ruci was a new tourist destination at the Cirebon seaport. Currently, the seaport is mostly used for coal transportation. Tourist activities are rare.

In 2015, only 1,521 ships, including 44 foreign cruise ships, docked at the seaport. This was a sharp decrease from the previous year’s 2,159 ships.

Cirebon coastal area Panjunan, Lemahwungkuk, near the seaport is full of trash and the water is brackish. This is despite the coastal area having wonderful culture, such as the nadran tradition that could be included in a maritime tourist agenda.

Cirebon port master (KSOP) Rivolindo said the arrival of the KRI Dewa Ruci had spread a maritime spirit among locals and should be used to build up momentum of maritime tourist development in Cirebon.

Rivolindo said the Cirebon seaport revitalization plan was aimed at developing  the maritime tourism plan. Port revitalization, including increasing the depth from 5 meters to 10 meters, is hoped to increase the number of foreign travelers coming to Cirebon on cruise ships.

Cirebon Statistics Agency data shows that 20,168 foreign travelers visited Cirebon in 2012. The number declined to 14,788 in 2015.

(IKI)