Indonesia's Tourism Ministry explores Southeast Asian tourism market

Mangupura (Antaranews Bali) - The Ministry of Tourism is exploring the potential of Southeast Asian tourists to visit Indonesia and enjoy its cultural diversity, exotic destinations, and scenery.

"We see the huge potential among tourists from Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines, Brunei, and Vietnam," Assistant Deputy of Southeast Asian Market Development Rizki Handayani Mustafa noted here on Thursday.

The promotion should be conducted, as several Malaysians are not familiar with Indonesia. The population of Malaysia comprises the three major ethnic groups of Malaysian Indians, Malay, and Malaysian Chinese, so the ministry should revamp its marketing strategy to manage the tourist market segment.

Mustafa explained that while promoting Bali as a tourist destination, the Muslim-Malay people will think twice to come to the island, as they are concerned about the availability of halal meals.

"Hence, we need to inform them that Bali also has restaurants offering halal food," she noted, adding that the ministry is promoting vegetarian food in Bali for the Malaysian Chinese.

Meanwhile, Vietnamese tourists prefer crowded tourist attractions, so Kuta Beach is an attractive destination for them.

"If we want to promote Bali`s tourism, we need to explore the markets closest to Indonesia, as flights are easily available," she noted.

The Ministry of Tourism, under its "Wonderful Indonesia" program, is developing and promoting top 10 tourist sites: Lake Toba in North Sumatra, Tanjung Kelayang Beach on Belitung Island, Tanjung Lesung Beach in Banten, Seribu Islands in Jakarta, Borobudur Temple in Central Java, Mounts Bromo and Semeru in East Java, Mandalika Beach in West Nusa Tenggara, Wakatobi in Southeast Sulawesi, Labuan Bajo in East Nusa Tenggara, and Morotai Island in North Maluku. (WDY)