RI Pins Hope For Tourism Growth On Asia

Pasadena, Dec 2 (ANTARA) - Indonesian Tourism and Creative Economy Minister Mari Elka Pangetu has said that Indonesia is pinning its hope for a 10 percent foreign tourist arrivals on Asia in 2013. Speaking on the sidelines of a flower-tournament function in Pasadena, California, the United States, on Monday (Tuesday in Indonesia), the minister said that she was optimistic that foreign tourist arrivals in Indonesia would increase in 2013. "We are optimistic that foreign tourist arrivals in Indonesia in 2013 would increase although the United States and Europe would still experience economic slow-down," the minister said. She said that the tourism sector and arrivals of foreign tourists in 2012 increased by five percent even though the European Union and the United States were hit by debt crisis. "The Indonesian tourism growth (in 2012) was still above global growth at about 3-4 percent," Mari said. Therefore, Mari was optimistic that the tourism sector would grew next year because the global economy was predicted to grew better. Moreover, the minister said, countries in the Asian region were not affected by serious impacts of the debt crisis in Europe. "We are pinning our hope for tourism growth on the Asian region. During a crisis time, people would prefer to travel to nearer regions," she said. In the meantime, Director General of Tourism Marketing at the Tourism and Creative Economy Ministry Esthy Reko Astuti has earlier said in Jakarta that Indonesia has set itself a target of attracting 9 million tourists in 2013. "I am very optimistic we can achieve the target," Easthy said. The target was set by considering not only the domestic economic growth but also the increased per capita income and purchasing power of people in the Asia-Pacific region, she said. "Moreover, Indonesia will host a number of international events including APEC Summit next year," she said. Esthy believed the MICE (Meeting, Incentives, Conference, and Exhibition) sector would give greater contributions to the attainment of the target when Indonesia hosted a number of world-class events next year. The tourist arrival target of 9 million for 2013 served as a stepping stone for the country to set a tourist arrival target of 10 million for 2014, she said. Next year, the ministry would focus its attention on major markets including Singapore, Malaysia, Australia, China, Japan and South Korea to attract more foreign tourists, she said. "Sixteen countries will become the target market for our tourism industry next year. In those countries we will organize a number of priority events to attract more tourists," she said. The ministry had set itself the target of attracting 1.75 million tourists from Singapore, 1.4 million tourists from Malaysia, 1.220 million tourists from Australia, 1 million tourists from China, 505 thousand tourists from Japan and 360 thousand tourists from South Korea next year, she said. The other target markets that the ministry would eye as sources of tourist arrivals next year would be the Philippines, Taiwan, the United States, Britain, France, India, the Netherlands, the Middle East, Germany and Russia, she said. The government has set the tourist arrival target of 8 million for this year.