Govt To Promote Indonesian Tourism In Taiwan

Jakarta (Antara Bali) - The Ministry of Tourism will  promote Indonesia's tourism destinations at the Kaohsiung International Travel Fair to be held in Taiwan from May 13-16.

Deputy of International Tourism Marketing Development of the Ministry of Tourism I Gede Pitana said here on Wednesday that Taiwan has become one of the main markets for Indonesia's tourism.

The Kaohsiung International Travel Fair will be the biggest tour and travel exhibition in Taiwan in which many countries will participate.

A booth showcasing the theme of Wonderful Indonesia, the national tourism campaign, will be set up at a strategic position near the entrance gate, he said.

Some forms of national art and dance will be introduced and performances will be organized to lure tourists to Indonesia.

"We should surpass our neighbouring countries, such as Malaysia and Singapore, in tourist arrivals," Pitana said.

The government will also promote its visa-free policy for 169 countries, including Taiwan, during the event.

Minister of Tourism Arief Yahya said the visa-free policy is one of the most tangible efforts to attract tourists to the country.

At least 10 main tourism destinations have been prioritized by the ministry to lure more tourists.

They are known as the "10 New Balis," an idiomatic expression, as these new destinations on offer are expected to attract as many tourists as those visiting the Bali Island.

The ten prioritized tourism destinations in 2016 are Lake Toba (North Sumatra), Belitung (Bangka Belitung), Tanjung Lesung (Banten), Seribu Islands ( Jakarta), Borobudur Temple (Central Java), Mount Bromo (East Java), Mandalika Lombok (West Nusa Tenggara), Komodo Island (East Nusa Tenggara), Wakatobi National Park (Southeast Sulawesi) and Morotai (North Maluku).

Meanwhile, Bali is one of Indonesia's iconic tourism destinations, which attracts some four million tourists a year, or 40 percent of the total tourists visiting the country.

However, development in the ten prioritized destinations will not be taaken up in such a way as to make them resemble Bali since each has its own distinct characteristics.

"Each of these has its own combination of nature and culture to offer. Such diversity will make us rich in terms of the attractions, culture and traditions. The uniqueness of each region can be explored," Yahya remarked.

The government intends to boost the number of foreign tourist arrivals, which is expected to reach 20 million by 2019.

Meanwhile, data from the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) revealed that the Indonesian tourism industry grew by 7.2 percent last year, well above the global average of 4.4 percent. (WDY)