As part of its port revitalization programme, the Indonesian government will relax rules and get rid of red tape to boost cruise tourism and extend permits for private yacht owners.
The government will drastically reduce the permit process time for foreign cruise ships and yachts from an average three weeks to just one day, through a simplified online one-time application.
It will also extend entry permits for private yachts from six months to a year with multiple entry.
Under current rules, yacht owners and cruise lines have to apply individually at 16 different government agencies.
The government says the new relaxed rules could double the number of foreign owned yachts in Indonesian waters.
"We think it is important to increase the number of tourists from cruises and yachts because these tourists are mostly people with very strong purchasing power and we have all the resources to actually lure them to visit the country," said tourism ministry marketing director general Esthy Reko Astuti.
To achieve this, the government plans to upgrade 30 seaports around the country with the aim of welcoming up to 700 cruise calls a year by 2016.
