The minister informed Rifai about Indonesias target to increase the number of foreign tourist arrivals from 10 million to 20 million a year, the Indonesian embassy in Madrid said in a statement on Monday.
The government has taken some measures to achieve the target, such as deregulation, innovation, and promotion, among others, by implementing the visa-free policy for tourists from 90 countries and revoking the Cruising Application for Indonesian Territory (CAIT) permits that open access for foreign yachts and sailing boats to five main Indonesian harbors.
As for innovation, the government will develop 10 new potential tourism destinations, apart from Bali.
The ministry has intensified its promotional activities through conventional and unconventional media, such as digital marketing and smart destination.
Minister Yahya also invited the UN WTO to establish cooperation to analyze the visa-free policy and to organize a seminar on "Beyond Bali Destination: Opportunities and Challenges."
The UN WTO secretary general lauded Indonesias new policies to boost the tourism industry, saying that it is on the right track. He promised to help promote Indonesian destinations to other UN WTO member countries.
(T.ZG/Uu.F001/INE/KR-BSR)
Editor: Priyambodo RH
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