According to data from the Ministry of Tourism, the number of domestic tourist trips in 2024 reached 1 billion, surpassing the pre-COVID-19 achievement of 722.2 million trips.
“This reflected a strong and rapid recovery after the pandemic. It also emphasized that domestic tourists are the backbone of national tourism. Thus, we must not discriminate against domestic tourists,” Puspa said at a public lecture at Mahendradatta University in Denpasar, Bali, on Saturday.
Tourism areas must not prioritize foreign tourists and discriminate against domestic tourists because they are key for maintaining the sustainability of the tourism sector in Indonesia, she added.
Though the Ministry of Tourism is currently focusing on quality tourism, it is not solely targeting certain segments, she underscored.
She further said that the goal is to make improvements from within, so that all tourists, both foreign and domestic, can get a quality experience in a healthy, safe, and comfortable environment.
The quality tourism concept highlights that the government will not discriminate in evaluating tourists, and instead, focus on making improvements to attract high-quality and big-spending tourists.
This year, the Ministry of Tourism is targeting to attract 1.08 billion domestic tourists and 14.6 million–16 million international tourists.
“We are always optimistic that we can achieve these targets. However, we cannot do it alone; we need support from all sectors, including academicians,” Puspa said.
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Translator: Ni Putu Putri, Raka Adji
Editor: Aditya Eko Sigit Wicaksono
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