"China's rapidly growing economy and businesses have placed the country as one of the most crucial markets for Indonesia's tourism," the ministry's deputy for marketing, Ni Made Ayu Marthini, said in a statement released by her office here on Tuesday.
She also underlined that the government is eyeing the arrival of up to 1.5 million Chinese tourists this year.
Citing ministry data, Marthini highlighted that a total of 935,643 tourists from China traveled to Indonesia during the January–September 2024 period.
Thus, China ranks fourth in the list of countries contributing the most to Indonesia's foreign tourist count, only trailing behind Malaysia, Australia, and Singapore, she added.
Furthermore, the official underscored that on average, Chinese tourists stayed for 10.71 days and spent US$1,333 per visit.
"Hence, the Wonderful Indonesia Sales Mission in China is expected not only to bring Chinese tourists to Indonesia but also to help encourage relevant stakeholders, such as airlines, to increase direct flights and open new routes from China to Indonesian cities," she said.
In the same statement, the ministry's marketing director for the Asia-Pacific, Wisnu Sindhutrisno, explained that the mission helped Indonesian business players connect with potential partners in China.
He said that the ministry endorsed Indonesia's five super-priority tourism destinations: North Sumatra's Lake Toba, Central Java's Borobudur Temple, West Nusa Tenggara's Mandalika, East Nusa Tenggara's Labuan Bajo, and North Sulawesi's Likupang.
The ministry also promoted travel packages, including a trip to Bali plus some nearby destinations, such as Labuan Bajo, Mandalika, Lombok, Borobudur Temple, Mount Bromo, and Ijen, as part of the sales mission, he added.
Related news: Govt aims to attract more tourists for New Year's holiday
Related news: RI seeks to increase tourism's contribution to national economy
Translator: Hreeloita D, Tegar Nurfitra
Editor: Arie Novarina
Copyright © ANTARA 2024
