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By APD writer Maverick
JAKARTA, July 5 (APD) – Indonesia set higher monthly foreign tourist arrival target after the nation saw tremendous growth of 20.34 percent
in the first five months to 5,358,498 ones this year if compared to the corresponding period last year.
The figure spurs the nation’s confidence to meet the target of 15 million ones by the end of the year as peak holiday season has come in these months.
“We have seen increasing number of foreign tourists arrived in Indonesia. I expect the average monthly record goes higher to 1.250 million ones in June and July,” Indonesia Tourism Minister Arief Yahya said in his office on Wednesday.
To attain the target, the ministry would improve the attractions in cross border areas, create tourism events in the nation’s three main destinations of Bali, Jakarta and Batam and in the now-developed 10 new destinations across the country, the minister added.
The new destinations, which most of them provide marine tourism, were expected to par with resort island of Bali in attracting foreign tourists.
Indonesia has set tourism as its main industry, replacing oil and gas, palm oil and coals. With orchestrated efforts carried out by related institutions, Southeast Asia’s largest economy has set target to receive 20 million foreign tourists, earn more than 24 billion U.S. Dollars from the sector by 2019.
The foreign visitor arrival figure in the first five months this year was processed with Mobile Positioning Data (MPD) system applied by Indonesian government to detect foreign visitors entering the country.
According to Indonesia’s Central Statistics Bureau (BPS), 4.687.721 arrivals during the period were detected from the nation’s 19 main gates, that include airports and seaports across the country.
The smaller remaining number was detected from other entrance gates, including cross borders.
The main gate that recorded highest arrival growth was Sam Ratulangi airport in North Sulawesi province’s capital of Manado which saw 449.2 percent growth during the period.
The BPS said that of 1.16 million foreign tourists arrived in Indonesia in May, Chinese ones dominated the figure at 13.9 percent, followed by the ones from Singapore, Malaysia, Australia and India.
The ministry previously claimed that Indonesia recorded highest growth to receive foreign tourists in the first four months this year if compared to its main competitors in the region.
In a statement the ministry said that Indonesia booked 19.34 percent of foreign tourist arrivals growth from January to April, far higher than in Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand that stood at 4.4 percent, minus 0.5 percent and 2.91 percent.
(ASIA PACIFIC DAILY)
