Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Tourism and Creative Economy Minister Mari Elka Pangestu said the tourism sector and domestic market had the potentials to serve as a safety belt for national economy in the face of global economic meltdown.

"Indonesian tourism is not vulnerable to economic crisis so that the tourism sector and domestic market can serve as a safety belt for national economy," the minister said here on Wednesday.

She was speaking to a seminar on "Tourism Outlook 2012" organized by ANTARA National News Agency with a theme of optimizing the creative economic sector for the tourism industry in Indonesia.

"We do not have to be worried about our tourism because we have huge tourism potentials. Indonesia is the largest archipelagic country and has the world`s fourth largest population of 237 million," the minister said.

She said that Indonesia stretched 5,120 km from the east to the west and 1,760 km from the north to the south.

"We have eight World Cultural Heritage Sites which has the potentials to serve as host for international festivals and exhibitions, as well as strong creative industries," the minister said.

The tourism and creative economy ministry has set a target of 8 million foreign tourist arrivals up to the end of this year.
(Uu.A014/B003)

Editor: Priyambodo RH
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