"Sail Morotai" promoted in s Korea

The North Maluku province would host "Sail Morotai" in 2012.

Therefore, during his visit to South Korea, North Maluku Governor Thaib Armaiyn would promote that international maritime and yachting event there, Acting Head of Morotai district, Sukemi Sahab, said.

"Governor Thaib Armaiyn are now in the Republic of Korea. During his visit, he will promote the Sail Morotai to the South Korean community members," he told ANTARA on Tuesday.

The governor was in South Korea to join the Investment National Coordinating Board`s investment promotion mission. Besides that, he would also introduce the Sail Morotai to South Koreans, he said.

For North Maluku, the Sail Morotai was a meaningful and strategic international event because it would put the province on to the world`s tourism and investment maps, he said.

The comings of foreign tourists and sailors to the Sail Morotai events would introduce the greatness of North Maluku province`s tourism and investment potentials, he said.

"For the Morotai Island district, Sail Morotai will positively contribute to tourism, investment, and infrastructure construction," he said.

In making the Sail Morotai get success, the North Maluku provincial government had proposed a budget of about 200 billion rupiah to central government in Jakarta.

The government`s funds would be used for preparing basic infrastructures such as roads, bridges, airport, and public facilities to support the Sail Morotai in a short time, he said.

This international event was initially introduced by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono when officiating the move of North Maluku capital from Ternate to Sofifi, he said.

In 2010, the annual event of Sail Indonesia had a theme of "Sail Banda" in which the Maluku provincial government was the host.

As part of the promotion strategies and ways to welcome the sailors, the host did not only organize communal festivities and cultural events but also provided their guests with tourism and investment booklets.

Through this annual yacht event, Indonesia is expected to remain in the route map of international sailors as one of the secure marine tourism destinations.

Over the past years, the Sail Indonesia`s participating international yachts start sailing to the Indonesian waters from Darwin, the capital of Australian state of Northern Territory.

Among the participating skippers were from the United States of America, New Zealand, United Kingdom, Sweden, Australia, France, Germany, Italy, and Switzerland