Bali (TAN): Indonesia experienced a 5.22 per cent rise in the number of tourists in the first month of 2019 as compared to the corresponding period in 2018, China’s official news agency Xinhua said.
Citing the archipelago country’s national statistics bureau figures, the report attributed the rise in numbers to an increase in visitors to the archipelago nation from China. A whopping 1.16 million people visited Indonesia in January.
During this time, the popular Bali island witnessed a tourist arrival growth of 15.23 per cent to 743,349.
In January, the highest number of tourists came from China, followed by Malaysia, Timor Leste, Singapore and Australia.
Indonesia had set the target to attract 17 million tourists last year, but failed to achieve the target. It ended up welcoming 15.81 million foreign visitors.
Indonesia eyes 1.5 million Australian tourists in 2019
Indonesia’s tourism ministry intends to play host to 1.5 millions Australian tourists in 2019 and is working towards this goal, The Jakarta Post reported.
The country’s tourism department is carrying out promotions to this end in the Australian cities of Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne and Perth.
[ALSO READ: Vandalism of historical sites turning out a big headache for Rome authorities]
“In 2018, we faced many natural disasters, however Indonesia was still able to attract 1.3 million Australian tourists. This year we are targeting to welcome 1.5 million (Australian tourists) out of the 20 million foreign visitors in 2019,” the tourism ministry’s marketing development deputy assistant for Australia, New Zealand and Oceania, Edy Wardoyo was quoted as saying in a statement by Kompas.com.
Sustainable tourism villages
After a recent meeting with the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO), the government of Indonesia has decided to focus, among other things, on sustainable tourism in small villages across the sprawling archipelago.
Indonesia tourism minister Arief Yahya said the ministry intended to create 2,000 tourism villages by the end of 2019.
Indonesia has 75,000 villages spread across the country.
