Indonesia eyes 20 million tourists
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Indonesia hopes to attract 20 million foreign tourists by 2019, with an annual growth rate predicted at 12 per cent, an official said on Thursday.
Tourism minister Arief Yahya said Indonesia would seek to boost tourism by participating in world-tourism expositions. “We are optimistic that the tourism sector can play a significant role in boosting Indonesia’s economy,” he said on Thursday.
Arief said the country was ready to promote “Wonderful Indonesia” during one of the world's largest travel trade shows, the ITB Berlin in Berlin, Germany, from March 4-8.
He said participation in the 49th edition of the event would help the country meets its tourism target.
“Wonderful Indonesia”, the tagline for Indonesia's booth, will showcase 100 tourism-related institutions and business at a 410-square-meter pavilion.
"Wonderful Indonesia is about this great country of 251 million, with 1,128 ethnic groups, hundreds of dialects spread on 13,000 islands and spanning three time zones,” the tourism ministry’s director for tourism promotion overseas, Nia Niscaya, told Antara news agency in London.
The ministry will focus on developing tourism in the maritime, ecology and adventure sectors, in addition to promoting shopping, sports, body treatment, leisure and culinary activities, among others.
The Central Statistics Agency recorded 9,435,411 million tourists arrived in Indonesia last year, a 7.19 per cent increase from 2013.
