Covering most of the Coral Triangle,underwater Indonesia boasts a high marine diversity.（Photo/Wonderful Indonesia）
(Ecns)-- For many Chinese visitors, Indonesia is one of the most ideal destinations for a beach vacation. But the Indonesian tourism authority is trying to persuade more people to explore the country's vast blue by going deeper.
Indonesian tourism officials are on a trade mission in China to promote the country's diving resources. Over the past five days, they've been to Dalian and Qingdao before finally arriving in Beijing.
The schedule is tight but the efforts are worthwhile, said Chen Hong with tour agency Oriza Holiday, who's also on the mission.
Chen says China's diving sector has taken off over the past five years. As far as he knows, Beijing alone has at least 25 diving clubs, with zealous divers traveling around the globe for different experiences.
According to a report released at the China International Diving Festival in Hainan province last month, at least 1.5 million people in the country have tried scuba diving.
Indonesia's Tourism Minister Arief Yahya says it's reasonable to brand Indonesia as an underwater paradise, given the upbeat trend of diving tourism worldwide.
Hosting more than 17,000 islands, Indonesia is confident it can satisfy the various needs of divers. Ten destinations are recommended to Chinese divers this time, including Bali, Lombok, Labuan, Alor, Derawan, Bunaken, Donggala, Wakatobi, Kota Ambon and Raja Ampat (The Four Kings).
Underwater Indonesia covers most of the Coral Triangle, 5.7 million square kilometers of ocean waters in the Pacific. The zone is considered the global center of tropical marine diversity and the Amazon of the Sea, with 76 percent of the world's known coral species and more than 3,000 species of fish.
Zhou Yu, a PADI diving instructor based in east China's Jiangsu Province, is still excited when he shares his experience exploring Raja Ampat.
"We saw a lot of fish, corals and turtles that we've never seen before," he says. "The journey is so unforgettable."
Zhou's first experience with scuba diving was in 2012 in the Philippines. He fell in love with the sport and became a certified instructor.
As an adventurous diver, Zhou says the water in Indonesia is less touched compared with the sea in the Philippines and Malaysia.
With more Chinese sharing the same spirit as Zhou's, Yahya believes the diving sector will be the new pillar for Indonesia's oceanic tourism and contribute to the domestic GDP.
Indonesia has set the goal of attracting 1.8 million global visitors to its beaches and sea area in 2016. Apart from promotional activities and trade missions, the country is also relaxing its customs policies by granting visa-free passes to visitors from 169 countries and regions, including China.
