In 2020, the number of foreign tourists arriving in Indonesia reached 4.05 million, it said. The number dived to 1.5 million in 2021, it added.
“The number of foreign tourists used to be the number we always pursued, but we are focusing on quality and sustainable tourism this time. Meanwhile, the target for local tourists is 260–280 million visits, and the added value of the creative economy is targeted to reach Rp1,236 trillion," Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy, Sandiaga Uno, said in a written statement released here on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, deputy for strategic policy at the ministry, Kurleni Ukar, said that the ministry has agreed with the National Development Planning Agency (Bappenas) on not setting a high target for the number of foreign tourist arrivals.
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However, she said she hoped that various international events scheduled in 2022 in Indonesia would increase foreign exchange earnings for the country.
One potential destination for attracting foreign tourists to Indonesia is Bali, which gets tourists from several countries such as Australia, India, and Japan, she said. Meanwhile, Batam and Bintang are expected to be dominated by tourists from Malaysia and Singapore, she added.
Meanwhile, the deputy for marketing at the ministry, Nia Niscaya, explained that the list of countries the targeted foreign tourists belong to is very dynamic because it is coordinated with the Ministry of Health, which considers COVID-19 cases in the targeted countries.
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Translator: M Baqir Idrus, Raka Adji
Editor: Suharto
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