Indonesia looks to Monaco to scale up maritime tourism

MONACO, Sept. 28, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- With more than 17,000 islands, hundreds of ethnic groups and one of the world’s richest marine environments, Indonesia sees maritime tourism as a major opportunity for the country’s future. That ambition brought H.E. Widiyanti Putri Wardhana, Minister of Tourism of the Republic of Indonesia, to the Monaco Smart & Sustainable Marina Rendezvous, where she opened the sessions earlier in the week and presented Indonesia’s vision for developing a stronger and more sustainable maritime tourism sector. But the scale of the Indonesian archipelago also creates a complex challenge: developing maritime tourism requires infrastructure, skills, safety standards and a coordinated approach to sustainability across a vast and diverse territory.

“I feel like there is a lot of potential. That's why we are here today to learn from Monaco,” the Minister said. For Indonesia, the Monaco event provided an opportunity to explore how an established maritime hub approaches innovation, infrastructure and sustainability. The two-day rendezvous brought together professionals from 30 nationalities and addressed issues ranging from biodiversity and investment to shore power, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and the transformation of existing marina infrastructure.

Wardhana highlighted human capital development and training as key priorities for international cooperation. But Indonesia’s ambitions extend beyond individual marinas, with the country also working towards a broader master plan for maritime tourism that brings together infrastructure, sustainability, safety and professional skills. “We have a vision to have Indonesia tourism and maritime tourism to be the best destination in Asia,” Wardhana said. The country is looking to Monaco as a source of expertise and international connections that could help accelerate the development of its own maritime tourism ecosystem.

“Hopefully, with this transformation and the expertise that we have gained here at the event, we will have a lot of collaboration in training, human capital development in the yachting industry, as well as sustainability efforts, safety, and the creation of a master plan for maritime tourism in Indonesia.”

Monaco has positioned itself as a hub for sustainable innovation in yachting, with the Yacht Club de Monaco playing a key role in promoting this vision internationally. For Indonesia, the goal is ultimately to transform its extraordinary maritime resources into high-quality tourism destinations while creating greater benefits for local communities and environment.

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A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/e6665228-0edb-48b1-8ae5-2786a63d0515