US, Aug. 10 -- Indonesia is accelerating its push into marine and cruise tourism, betting that the world's largest archipelagic nation can turn its thousands of islands, beaches, reefs, cultures and major ports into a more powerful tourism economy beyond conventional land-based vacations.

The opportunity is considerable.

Cruise traffic through ports operated by Pelindo Regional 3 in eastern Indonesia increased sharply during the first half of 2025, when 107 cruise calls were recorded, up 68 percent year-on-year. Those ships carried 224,136 passengers, representing growth of 69 percent. Benoa in Bali remained the leading cruise gateway, accounting for 37.4 percent of ship calls and handling 86,616 passengers during the period.

Indonesi...