By: Natalia Trita Agnika

"One Billion Tourists, One Billion Opportunities" was the theme of World Tourism Day which fell on Sunday (27/09) yesterday. The tourism sector has the potential and important role, both in terms of social, economic, cultural, and environmental aspects. According to UNWTO records, international tourist arrivals grew by 4.3% in 2014 and reached 1.133 billion tourists. This of course has an impact on economic growth, employment, and the development of regional development that becomes a tourist destination.

The development of the tourism sector in Indonesia has also experienced positive growth. In 2014, the growth of the tourism industry in Indonesia reached 9.39%, higher than the previous year (data from the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy). Even this figure is above the national economic growth which reached 5.7%. The main strength of Indonesia's tourism industry lies in its natural resources and rich cultural diversity. What is now increasingly stretched and in demand is marine tourism.

Maritime tourism in Indonesia is growing very rapidly, as evidenced by the increasing number of tourist trips to the islands in Indonesia. However, without realizing it, every tourism activity has the opportunity to cause negative impacts. For example, an increase in the volume of garbage on islands and beachfronts, damage to coral reefs, pollution, stress on marine species, and land ownership conflicts.

For this reason, we need to develop responsible marine tourism. This concept encourages every traveler and tourism service provider to commit to taking concrete steps to reduce the negative impacts arising from marine tourism activities. Responsible marine tourism aims to support the conservation movement in Indonesia.

WWF-Indonesia as the oldest conservation organization in Indonesia has initiated a program called ""Signing Blue"". The program, which was launched on Wednesday (16/9), is an innovation and a platform for tourists and tourism service providers (operators, accommodation managers, transportation managers, culinary services, guide services, to local souvenir providers) to play a real role in protecting natural resources. This program encourages the government, business actors, and the community to utilize and secure marine assets so that a responsible tourism system is realized.

We as tourism players-both as tourists and tourism service providers-must support this program by joining the "Signing Blue" member at http://www.signingblue.com/. We can also practice responsible marine tourism with the Signing Blue rules listed on the site. The commitment of all parties to realize responsible marine tourism will encourage the creation of a sustainable tourism business for current and future generations.