More than 300 business people, government representatives and non-governmental organizations from 17 countries will gather in Nusa Dua Bali, Indonesia on August 27-29, 2015 to discuss policies, strategies and innovations in marine tourism and promote sustainable business concepts in the Coral Triangle region - the center of marine biodiversity in the world.

The 4th Coral Triangle Initiative on Coral Reefs, Fisheries and Food Security (CTI-CFF) Regional Business Forum held this year will take on the theme "Structuring the Future of the Coral Triangle Area as a World Marine Tourism Destination".

The Coral Triangle region is the center of marine biodiversity in the world. More than 2,000 species of reef fish and 600 species of coral live in this region. The Coral Triangle region includes Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Solomon Islands and Timor Leste.

The three-day forum is organized by the Coordinating Ministry for Maritime Affairs, Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, and Ministry of Tourism in coordination with the CTI-CFF Regional Secretariat and its partners. In this activity there are three main events, namely the Sustainable Marine Tourism Conference, the Coral Triangle Marine Tourism Investment Forum and B2B Meetings, and the Coral Triangle Marine Tourism Expo.

"Since the Coral Triangle Initiative was inaugurated in 2009, Indonesia has played an active role in initiating various cooperation between countries in an effort to preserve the marine wealth in the Coral Triangle region. We are very proud to be able to organize this Forum and invite tourism leaders and colleagues to realize a sustainable marine tourism agenda in the Coral Triangle region," said Deputy for Maritime Human Resources, Science and Culture of the Coordinating Ministry for Maritime Affairs Safri Burhanuddin. "This forum also supports the Indonesian government's vision to become the World Maritime Axis", he added.

Director General of Marine, Coastal and Small Islands (KP3K) of the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Dr. Sudirman Saad, SH, M. Hum said, "This event will open a number of business opportunities and increase investment from the private sector. Responsible business management is essential for the long-term sustainability of the world's coral reef triangle waters, where millions of people depend on the health of the ocean for their livelihoods."

Attending the Forum will be John Pundari, Minister of Environment and Conservation of Papua New Guinea and Chair of the CTI-CFF Council of Ministers; Dato' Seri Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz, Minister of Tourism and Culture of Malaysia; Bartholomew Parapolo and Minister of Culture and Tourism of the Solomon Islands. Government officials from the Philippines and Timor-Leste are also in attendance, and U.S. Ambassador to Indonesia Robert Blake will speak at the Forum on the second day.

Several corporate leaders such as Francis Welirang, Director of PT Indofood Sukses Makmur and Founder of the Indonesian Philanthropists Association and Capt. Novianto Herupratomo, Executive Vice President of Garuda Indonesia, Ismail Ning, Chairman of the Association of Marine Tourism Entrepreneurs (GAHAWISRI) are among the names that will be speaking at the Forum in addition to several other international speakers such as Luigi Cabrini, Chairman of the World Sustainable Tourism Council and UNWTO Advisor.

"The Coral Triangle region has extraordinary marine resources. These include unique attractions that we must protect together for future generations. The approach of social, economic and environmental sustainability values is very good to apply because it not only provides benefits for local communities and conservation efforts but also opens up marketing opportunities for tourist sites in the region as tourist interest in vacationing in environmentally friendly tourism areas increases," said Cabrini.

The 4th CTI-CFF Regional Business Forum aims to provide a space for the development of innovation and collaboration as well as to discuss solutions and share best practices related to responsible tourism business governance. This activity is also a vehicle to introduce the Coral Triangle more widely as a product of a sustainable tourist destination area that provides benefits to the surrounding community.

The rich marine life of the Coral Triangle attracts tourists from all over the world. Unfortunately, the marine ecosystems are currently in an alarming state. Tourism has both direct and indirect impacts on coral reefs. Snorkeling and diving activities can result in physical damage to coral reefs. Meanwhile, fishing and the habit of tourists collecting corals and marine life as souvenirs can lead to overexploitation that threatens the sustainability of marine resources. Meanwhile, indirect impacts that have the potential to damage marine ecosystems include the development of tourism infrastructure.

"This activity is an excellent opportunity because it will bring together all stakeholders including from the private sector, communities, government and non-governmental organizations. This forum provides a space to affirm their commitment to sustainable marine tourism practices", said Widi A. Pratikto Ph.D, Executive Director of the CTI-CFF Regional Secretariat. "The Regional Business Forum is also a venue for Coral Triangle member countries to market their tourist sites as world tourist destinations", he added.

Data from the World Travel and Tourism Council shows that the travel and tourism industry in the six countries of the Coral Triangle region has made a significant economic impact. In 2014, the industry contributed USD 58 billion to the GDP of the six countries and provided employment to more than 5 million people. It is estimated that around USD 3 billion of marine tourism revenue in the Coral Triangle region is derived from currency exchanges in the area.

"Indonesia is known for its marine biodiversity and has the largest area in the Coral Triangle region. For this reason, efforts to save this 'underwater forest' are very important. The private sector must understand that the tourism business will not take place without efforts to ensure its sustainability. Where the government needs support, the private sector needs to lend a helping hand and work together to protect its marine areas," said Ismail Ning, Chairman of GAHAWISRI and President Director of Pacto Ltd.

This forum is particularly important for Indonesia as it plans to expand its National Strategic Tourism Areas (KSPNs) from 8 in 2014 to 25 in 2019. Visitation data at Indonesia's top marine tourism destinations shows a significant increase in the past 3 years.

In Komodo National Park the number of foreign tourist visits increased by 9.42% from 2011 to 2013 (41,833/2011 to 45,776/2013); Raja Ampat in West Papua increased by 56.48% in 2012 compared to 2010 (3,858/2010 to 6,037/2012). Similarly, Wakatobi increased by 45.77% in 2013 (2,274/2011 to 3,315/2013); while Sabang in North Sumatra increased by 17.5% in 2013 compared to 2010 (3,932/2010 to 4,622/ 2013).

"This forum embodies the vision that sustainable management of the marine tourism business sector will have a major impact on efforts to conserve marine biodiversity in the Coral Triangle region and help the livelihoods of 120 million people who depend on marine ecosystems. We can best safeguard and conserve this unique resource by engaging multiple layers of stakeholders including from the private sector, local government officials, and women leaders in the Coral Triangle region," said Executive Director of the Coral Triangle Center, Rili Djohani, one of the organizers.

Alongside the Forum, additional activities will be held including the Local Government Network and Women Leaders Forum. The 4th CTI Regional Business Forum is jointly organized by the CTI-CFF Regional Secretariat with the support of USAID, US Department of Interior, Coral Triangle Center, NOAA, as well as Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF), The Nature Conservancy, Conservation International, Tone, XL Axiata, and BNI.