Indonesia’s stunning beaches, mountainscapes and jungles are by no means a well-kept secret, but tourism has largely been confined to the established resort island of Bali, or the glittery malls of Jakarta. But now, under the leadership of Minister of Tourism Arief Yahya, the renewed efforts of the Ministry of Tourism are beginning to see strong results with Indonesia outflanking other Southeast Asian destinations in growth.
Yahya has overseen new strategies to increase tourism in established areas and welcome foreign visitors from new target markets and countries, developing infrastructure in outer regions and rebranding dry marketing.
The improvement can be seen with a massive increase in foreign tourists visiting the archipelago this year. Data from the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) shows 4.2 million foreign tourists visited Indonesia from January to June, a 19.34 percent increase from the same period a year earlier which saw 3.52 million visitors.
Booming growth in Chinese tourism is the highest contributor, making up 13.19 percent of all foreign tourists. Visitors from Singapore made up the second largest group with 9.83 percent, followed by Australian tourists contributing 7.91 percent. Indian visitors made up 4.19 percent of visits.
Tourism Minister Yahya said 40 percent of all foreign tourists in Indonesia visit Bali, while 30 percent head for the capital city of Jakarta, 20 percent visit the Riau Islands and the remaining 10 percent holiday elsewhere in the archipelago.
Bali has long been a favourite, with tourists flocking to the island’s beaches, resorts and inland jungles. Visitors to Jakarta typically come for business or shopping purposes.
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