Destinasea

Wakatobi is an archipelago in southeast Sulawesi, one of the world's best diving destinations. Located in a National Park area that has a wide variety of marine biodiversity, it is part of the world's coral triangle area. Wakatobi is located in the heart of Indonesia, making it a very attractive diving destination for domestic and foreign tourists.

Dinis Cemara Dive Center is a marine tourism operator and dive operator that was established in 2014. The company’s concept not only prioritizes environmental aspects but also prioritizes social aspects. This is in line with the principle of Signing Blue - a marine tourism improvement program initiated by the WWF-Indonesia Foundation. The activities of Dinis Cemara Dive Center started as snorkeling tours. Since 2015, Dinis Cemara Dive Center has grown rapidly, allowing them to build tourist boats and start diving activities. This growth momentum kick started Dinis Cemara Dive Center’s marine tourism trips, inviting tourists to sail to several beautiful dive sites in the Wakatobi National Park.

Since its inception, Dinis Cemara Dive Center has done good things in managing the dive business. Ecosystem maintenance is carried out by Dinis Cemara Dive Center staff, namely beach cleanup  as well as underwater cleanup every Friday. Dinis Cemara Dive Center participated in the success of the 'no single use plastic' program by providing drinking water dispensers at several high points of activity and advising all staff and guests to bring refillable drinking bottles. Dinis Cemara Dive Center also implements energy saving efforts by reminding guests to turn off lights and air conditioning when not needed. Their beach lights turn off during the day and only turn back on automatically when it gets dark.

Signing Blue is an internationally recognized program, their values are in line with Dinis Cemara Dive Centre’s mission. Dinis Cemara Dive Centre joined Signing Blue in 2017, their shared concepts allow them to collaborate and complement each other. Setiawan Jody – Manager of Dinis Cemara Dive Center said, “We have one mission and one heart with the Signing Blue program, an environmentally friendly program and sustainable tourism. Tourists come to visit to enjoy the beauty of the underwater world, therefore we try to preserve the surrounding nature, from protecting the beaches to the underwater world.”

Joining Signing Blue strengthens various principles, such as maintaining the land and sea environment, socio-cultural principles that promote local business and promotion of local products, as well as effective management principles such as legal and operational standards based on recommendations from the Signing Blue team. The positive impact felt by Dinis Cemara Dive Center is that the inclusion of the Signing Blue logo helps in promoting diving packages to foreign tourists. Another thing is that together with the Signing Blue team, they have created a Code of Conduct for tourists in diving activities such as not stepping on coral reefs and keeping a distance from coral reefs and fish in order to prevent damage.

Since the beginning of the pandemic in early 2020, guest arrivals and the income they bring have reduced significantly. Standard Cleanliness Health Safety Environment Sustainability as a health protocol standard is currently a top priority for Dinis Cemara Dive Center staff. Dinis Cemara Dive Center has been certified 'I Do Care' or CHSE issued by the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy (Kemenparekraf) of the Republic of Indonesia in December 2020. Standard Operating Procedures have been updated and must be followed by all staff and guests. The addition of hand washing basins, hand sanitizers, and signs to prevent the spread of COVID-19 have been implemented. Guests are required to show a document of negative results from the PCR or Rapid Antigen test, check their temperature, wash hands before activities, wear masks and maintain a distance.

By maintaining cleanliness and health according to CHSE standards set by the government, guests feel safe and comfortable when visiting Dinis Cemara Dive Centre. In addition, the Pandemic period has made time for the maintenance of diving equipment. Attractive half price diving packages have been launched to attract diving tourists. Optimism for the central government’s plan to reopen tourism activities have spawned new enthusiasm and hope. The Indonesian archipelago hosts many beautiful natural wonders. Wakatobi is arguably one of the best tourist destinations, its many exotic islands, along with their diverse wildlife make it a complete one-of-a-kind package. Wakatobi tourism has been forced to adjust to the ‘new normal’, but is now ready to welcome a new era of tourism, an era where only responsible businesses can thrive, an era where raised public awareness and care for the environment will weed out any irresponsible and unsustainable businesses.