"For 2016, we set a target of attracting 1.7 million Chinese tourists, and two million in 2019," Hari Untoro Dradjat, expert staff of the tourism ministry, said here, Sunday evening.
Some 12 million Chinese travel to Asia and the Pacific region a year, and Indonesia hopes to lure two million of them, he stated when greeting some 400 Chinese visitors during an "Imlek" (Lunar New Year) Festival in Bali.
"They want to celebrate Imlek in a warm region because its now winter in their country. Bali and Indonesia in general are among their choices," he added.
The tourism ministrys official presented six thousand special gifts as souvenirs to the Chinese celebrating the Lunar New Year in Bali.
This year, more than one thousand Chinese, mostly from Beijing and Heilonggijang Province, celebrate their new year, that falls on February 8, in Bali.
During February alone, Indonesia hopes to receive at least 200 thousand Chinese visitors. A Chinese tourist spends an average of US$1,200 per visit.
Thailand manages to attract eight million Chinese tourists a year.
"If they like Thailand, they must like Indonesia, too, particularly Bali. We have to be able to defeat our neighboring country," he said.
Indonesia hopes to lure 12 million foreign tourists, particularly from Malaysia, Singapore, China, Australia and Japan, this year.
The number of Chinese tourists who visited Indonesia in 2014 was 959,231. It increased by 18.77 percent to 1,139,281 in 2015.
Bali recorded a total of 4.001 million foreign tourist arrivals during 2015, up 6.24 percent from 3.76 million recorded in the previous year.
For 2016, the Bali Tourism Office has set the target for tourist arrivals at the world-renowned tourist island at 4.2 million, at least.
The Bali tourism office has also set the target of domestic tourists visiting the resort island for 2016 at 7.8 million.
(T.SYS/A/F001/F001)
Editor: Aditia Maruli Radja
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