However, compared to 7,687 foreign tourists in October 2017, the number increased by 8.52 percent, Dr Ateng Hartono, chief of the North Sulawesi Statistic Office (BPS), said here, Monday.
The total number of foreign tourists visiting the province during the January-October 2018 period reached 64,357 people.
In October, foreign tourists visiting North Sulawesi, comprised 6,763 Chinese (81.07 percent), 302 Germans (3.62 percent), 139 Americans (1.67 percent), 107 British (1.28 percent), 105 Singaporeans (1.26 percent), 84 French (1.01 percent), 83 Hong Kong citizens (0.99 percent), 82 Dutch (0.98 percent), 70 Australians (0.84 percent), and 37 Thais (0.44 percent).
Meanwhile, the number of visit to Indonesia by Chinese tourists has increased 275 percent over the past five years.
In 2017, the number totaled 2.06 million visits and it reflected growing contacts between Indonesian and Chinese people, Chinese Ambassador to Indonesia Xiao Qian has said.
"In the past five years, contacts between the two communities have entered a new phase. There are many exchanges either in tourism, education, media, sports and younger generation activities," the ambassador said addressing the opening of a seminar on "Indonesia-China 5 Years of Comprehensive Strategic Partnership" here recently.
Earlier it was reported that Indonesia was ranked among 10 largest destinations of Chinese tourists in 2017. Indonesia has been aggressive in promoting the country`s tourism wealth hoping to draw more Chinese tourists. The Indonesian government has set a target to draw 2.6 million Chinese tourists in 2018.
Chinese are the largest in number of foreign tourists in the world. According to statistics from the China National Tourism Administration, 131 million Chinese tourists traveled overseas in 2017, an increase of 7 percent from the previous year.
Reporting by Jerusalem Mendalora, Fardah
Reporter: Antara
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
Copyright © ANTARA 2018
