Citing Central Statistics Agency (BPS) data, Deputy Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy Sapta Nirwandar said the tourism sector contributed US$9 million to national revenues in 2011, increasing from US$7.6 million in 2010.
"In terms of contribution to national revenues, tourism ranked right after oil and gas, coal, palm oil and manufactured rubber," he noted.
The tourism sector contributed Rp296.97 trillion to the gross domestic product (GDP) of Indonesia, constituting 4 percent of the national GDP.
Nirwandar noted that the sector employed 8.53 million people, accounting for 7.72 percent of the national workforce.
"Total wages in the sector amounted to Rp96.57 trillion, up by Rp11.77 trillion from 2010," he pointed out.
"Tourism's contribution to indirect tax revenues in 2011 was Rp10.72 trillion, accounting for 3.85 percent of total tax revenues," Nirwandar said, adding that revenues came from restaurant tax (2.28 percent), hotel (0.35 percent) and recreation and amusement (0.28 percent).
Earlier, Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy Mari Elka Pangestu had stated that the tourism sector would continue to perform well in 2013.
"According to official data, the tourism sector of Indonesia grew by 5 percent in 2012, which is higher than the global average of 3 to 4 percent," she noted.
"We achieved our 2012 target of having 8 million visitor arrivals. Therefore, we are optimistic that the numbers will continue to rise this year," Pangestu added.
(A060/KR-BSR/O001)
Editor: Jafar M Sidik
Copyright © ANTARA 2013
