Benoa Maritime Hub Targets 188-Yacht Marina and 5 Cruise Berths by 2028

Denpasar — Indonesia is advancing plans to turn Benoa in southern Denpasar into a major maritime tourism hub, with an international-standard marina designed to accommodate around 188 yachts and an expanded cruise terminal able to berth up to five large ships by late 2028, according to senior government officials.

Coordinating Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono has framed the Bali Maritime Tourism Hub (BMTH) as a strategic project to attract higher-spending marine tourists and strengthen Bali’s position as a world-class destination for yacht and cruise travel, based on visits and statements reported in Indonesian and Bali-based media.

Marina and cruise capacity plans

Reports from national and local outlets state that the first BMTH development zone will form an international Marina District designed to handle up to 188 yachts, including superyachts and megayachts, with facilities for vessels up to around 90 metres in length.

The adjacent cruise terminal is being planned to accommodate up to five large cruise ships on a single day, a significant increase compared with the port’s current capacity.

Media coverage of Yudhoyono’s inspection visit in July 2026 cites officials saying the hub is targeted to be fully operational by the end of 2028, with phased development and an emphasis on sustainability, spatial planning and coordination among central and regional institutions.

Positioning Benoa in marine tourism

Government messaging links the Benoa project to a broader strategy to capture high-value marine tourism, highlighting expected synergies between yacht and cruise passengers and Bali’s hospitality, retail, food, cultural and marine services sectors.

Yudhoyono has been quoted urging regulatory reform and more conducive investment conditions to accelerate construction of the marina and supporting infrastructure, while emphasizing that the BMTH is not just an upgraded port but an integrated tourism ecosystem with entertainment areas, a shopping centre, public parks and green open spaces.

Local reporting also notes that part of the transformation involves reorienting the existing port toward luxury and leisure vessels, with fishing activities being relocated to another harbour in Jembrana Regency to free up space for the marina development.

Yacht tourism as a policy focus

The Benoa plans have been reinforced by statements from the Ministry of Tourism during the INSA Yacht Festival 2026, held at Benoa Marina from 7 to 9 August 2026.

At the festival, Tourism Minister Widiyanti Putri Wardhana described yacht tourism as one of three main pillars of quality marine tourism in Indonesia, alongside cruise tourism and diving, and called the event an important showcase for positioning the country as a global marine tourism destination.

The ministry has said it is mapping the yacht, cruise and liveaboard industries as part of efforts to build a more integrated national marine tourism ecosystem, involving cooperation between government, investors, industry associations, coastal communities and tourism businesses.

Local business and community opportunities

Official statements and festival coverage point to potential opportunities for Bali-based operators in hospitality, marine services, shipbuilding and repair, retail, food and beverage, entertainment and micro, small and medium-sized enterprises linked to yacht and cruise supply chains.

However, reports so far do not identify specific private operators that have secured concessions or contracts at the BMTH, nor do they provide detailed projections for visitor numbers, spending or employment.

Government officials have indicated that further work is needed on regulation, investment frameworks and coordination between central and regional authorities, suggesting that commercial arrangements and community access to the new facilities are still being shaped as the project advances.

Timeline and unresolved details

The BMTH and Benoa marina are consistently described in recent coverage as a multi-year strategic development aimed at full operation by the end of 2028, rather than a facility that will immediately transform visitor experiences in the short term.

Key figures – a yacht capacity of around 188 vessels, berths for up to five large cruise ships and a site area of about 24.77 hectares – appear across several independent reports, reinforcing their status as current planning benchmarks.

At the same time, publicly available information does not yet specify the total investment cost, the detailed breakdown of berths by yacht size, or the final operating model, leaving questions about how benefits from the new hub will be shared among local businesses and communities once the project moves from construction into full operation.

Sources

• detikTravel – Benoa Disulap Jadi Surga Yacht dan Kapal Pesiar
• Bali Discovery – Bali Targeted to Become Southeast Asia’s Largest Maritime Tourism Hub
• Investortrust.id – Kemenpar Dorong 'Yacht Tourism' Perkuat Wisata Bahari Indonesia
• Indonesia.travel – INSA Yacht Festival 2026
• Asiatoday.id – Bali Builds Asia Pacific's Next Maritime Tourism Hub