Government Successful In Developing Tourism Sector

PURWOKERTO, C Java, Oct 23 (Antara) - In the first three years of its term of office, the government of President Joko Widod (Jokowi) has succeeded in developing the country's tourism sector, an observer noted. "After three years in power, the Jokowi Government has been successful in developing the tourism sector," Chusmeru from the University of General Soedirman, Purwokerto, said last weekend . Infrastructure and supporting facilities have been built drawing investment to the tourism sector, he said. "The United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) also sees the progress made in the development of the country's touyrism industry in 2016," Chusmeru said. He said based on official data from the Central Bureau of Statistics (BPS) the number of visits by foreign tourists in the first four months of the year reached 4.20 million. The number represented a 19.34 percent increase from 3.52 visits recorded in the same period last year, he said, adding, "That was a rapid growth." He said he hopes the government would continue to focus on its infrastructure program to accelerate development of the tourism industry. The government has been set to double the number of visits of foreign tourists to 20 million in 2019 to make the sector a major foreign exchange earner for the country.