It could reach between 10 (million) and 11 million foreign tourist visitsJakarta (ANTARA) - The number of international tourist visits touched 7.44 million in January–August 2023, and is expected to reach 10 million to 11 million by year-end, Tourism and Creative Economy Minister, Sandiaga Salahuddin Uno, has said.
At "The Weekly Brief with Sandi Uno," which was followed online from here on Monday, Uno informed that the government has revised the target for foreign tourist visits to 8.5 million, or 1.1 million higher compared to the target of 7.4 million set at the beginning of the year.
Indonesia still has four months left to reach the target, he added.
He said he is optimistic that by the end of 2023, the number of foreign tourist visits will surpass the target by 15–20 percent.
"It could reach between 10 (million) and 11 million foreign tourist visits," he projected, adding that foreign tourist arrivals have shown a strong increasing trend.
According to the ministry, foreign tourist visits reached 1.13 million in August, an increase of 68.92 percent compared to 670 thousand visits during the same period of 2022.
The number reflected an increase of 1.02 percent compared to July 2023, when the figure was recorded at 1.121 million.
Based on the country of origin, the foreign tourists visiting Indonesia in August chiefly came from Malaysia (15.4 percent), followed by Australia (11.4 percent), Singapore (9.3 percent), China (7.52 percent), and Timor Leste (5.68 percent).
"If we look at the tourists visiting in August, they were dominated by Malaysians," he noted.
Uno hopes that the increase in foreign tourist visits will provide benefits to the people.
"God willing, I am optimistic that the year-end target of 8.5 million will be significantly exceeded," he added.
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Translator: Putu Indah Savitri, Sri Haryati
Editor: Tia Mutiasari
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