Ministry Targets 3.6 Million Foreign Tourist Arrivals Next Year

TheIndonesia.co - Indonesia’s Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy said it targets 1.8 to 3.6 million foreign tourist arrivals in Indonesia next year, as the country continues to grapple with.

The 2022 target is doubling the figure this year at only 1.5 million. And in 2020, there were 4.05 million foreign tourist arrivals in Indonesia.

The Ministry said the considerably low target is due to the ongoing travel restrictions, and the figure has also been agreed by the Ministry of National Development Planning (Bappenas). However, a number of international events that will be held in the country next year are expected to contribute to national economy.

“We agreed with Bappenas to not set an overly high target. But we expect international events to help increasing Indonesia’s foreign exchange reserves,” deputy for strategic policy affairs at the Ministry, Kurleni Ukar, said in Jakarta on Monday, December 27.

“Border reopening, along with accessibility and ease of entering Indonesia, continues to be an issue.”

The deputy also revealed that Bali continues to be the most popular tourist destination among international visitors, especially those from Australia. Meanwhile, Malaysian and Singaporean tourists are still the main target for Batam and Bintan.

Meanwhile, deputy for marketing at the Ministry Nia Niscaya added that Indonesia’s target for countries of origin is very “dynamic” as the country continues to adjust their policy based on COVID-19 pandemic development globally.

“Countries of origin is very dynamic [because it’s based on] the returning policy. If the policy is complicated, tourists will think twice to travel abroad,” Niscaya said.