Indonesia, known for its vast archipelago, is increasingly drawing the interest of international tourists. The country has identified several key markets, with Australia being at the forefront of its tourism strategy.
The Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy (Kemenparekraf) has highlighted Australia as the primary market for international visitors. “We know Australia is our market focus,” said Nia Niscaya, an expert in tourism and creative economy at Kemenparekraf, as quoted by Antara on Monday (8/7/2024).
According to data from the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) in May 2024, Australia ranks second in terms of foreign tourist arrivals, contributing 11.98 percent, just behind Malaysia, which leads with 17.47 percent.
To increase foreign exchange revenue from Australian tourists, several initiatives and strategies have been planned. These include sales missions aimed at attracting international tourists in collaboration with the Labuan Bajo-Flores Authority Agency (BOLBF).
The strategy involves participating in international exhibitions, holding direct meetings with buyers, and organizing familiarization trips to introduce tourist destinations.
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From January to May 2024, Indonesia welcomed 5.2 million international tourists (5,244,213 visits). “This year we already have 5,244,213 international tourist visits, we see the data,” said Nia Niscaya in the program The Weekly Brief with Sandi Uno at the Sapta Pesona Building, Jakarta, Monday (8/7/2024).
Nearly 1.2 million visits were recorded in May alone. Nia hopes that May and June will mark the peak of foreign tourist arrivals to Indonesia, further boosting the numbers.
The January to May period saw a 23.78 percent increase in international tourist visits compared to the same period last year, which recorded around 4,236,670 visits. Compared to April, May’s figures saw a 7.36 percent increase.
Countries contributing the most visitors to Indonesia during this period included Malaysia (17.47 percent), Australia (11.98 percent), Singapore (9.69 percent), China (8.61 percent), and India (7.08 percent). “From January to May, the focus markets (for international tourists) were Australia, Singapore, Malaysia, and India,” Nia added.
Kemenparekraf aims to attract approximately 14.3 million international tourists to Indonesia in 2024. To meet this ambitious target, Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy Sandiaga Uno emphasized the need for more flights.
To support this goal, Kemenparekraf plans to collaborate with the Ministry of Transportation (Kemenhub) and the Ministry of State-Owned Enterprises (BUMN) to improve infrastructure and expand flight routes.
