JAKARTA, Sept 8 — Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand should enhance cooperation to boost maritime tourism in the Indonesia-Malaysia-Thailand Growth Triangle (IMT-GT) by strengthening cruise and ferry links.
Indonesia’s National Border Management Agency's Expert Group member Hamidin said that while these areas are geographically close, they are underconnected in maritime tourism.
Short sea routes that could link Sumatra’s east coast with Malaysia and Thailand remain underdeveloped. Most existing services primarily cater to workers and traders.
“With shared culture and world-class tourism potential, the IMT-GT region possesses significant assets to become a leading destination in Southeast Asia. Connectivity remains the missing link,” he wrote in his article 'Close Neighbours, Distant Links'.
Hamidin added that cruise itineraries remain dominated by Port Klang and Singapore, while ports in Sumatra like Kuala Tanjung currently function only as ports of call rather than as primary departure points.
In fact, cross-border sea transport is still largely served by fast ferries for worker mobility and trade. Routes such as Belawan-Port Klang and Dumai-Melaka remain underutilised for tourism.
He highlighted opportunities for regional cruise development, pointing to Belawan near Lake Toba, Dumai, opposite Melaka, and Batam in the Riau Islands as potential gateways if tourism becomes a priority for IMT-GT initiatives.
Malaysia’s Penang, Melaka, and Port Klang, and Thailand’s Phuket and Krabi, also offer strong cruise and tourism prospects.
Hamidin proposed regular itineraries like Kuala Tanjung-Port Klang-Phuket or Dumai-Melaka-Krabi, alongside an 'IMT-GT Island Hopping' package linking Batam, Penang, and Phuket.
Twin-city partnerships could also be promoted, including Medan-Penang for culinary and health tourism, Dumai-Melaka for history and marine attractions, and Batam-Phuket for resorts and Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions (MICE) activities.
To support this, he called for modern passenger terminals with fast immigration and maritime visa-on-arrival services, and joint branding under an 'IMT-GT Maritime Cruise' initiative.
IMT-GT was established in 1993 in Langkawi, Kedah, to provide a sub-regional framework for accelerating economic cooperation and integration among the member states and provinces of the three countries.
It promotes private-sector-led economic growth and supports the overall development of the sub-region by leveraging the complementarities and comparative advantages of its member countries.
