RI, MALAYSIA TO INCREASE COOPERATION IN TOURISM

Jakarta, Jan 30 (ANTARA) - Culture and Tourism Minister Jero Wacik received a visit of his Malaysian counterpart Dato' Sri Azalina Dato' Othman to discuss the opportunity in enhancing cooperation on tourism here Thursday.

"The visit is a continuation of the last meeting in December 2008 in Hanoi," he said.
According to Wacik due to the current global crisis both countries will aim at enhancing cooperation in the Asian market.
"We compete to attract the tourists from the whole world but we will cooperate to increase the number of visits between the two countries," he said.
While Dato' Sri Azalina said that both countries agreed to do a follow up of the agreement which had been signed in 1990 and expected to increase the number of visits from and to the neighboring countries.
"Malaysia and Indonesia have a sibling-like relationship. Dispute do happen," she said responding several controversies between the two countries.
Wacik said that the points on the cooperation were joint promotion, numbers of flight services, incentives and travel discounts.
"One of the example is Bandung-Kualalumpur route from Air Asia which has risen the numbers of visits and will rise some more if it is increased," Wacik said.
The minister also said the number of Indonesian tourists to visit Malaysia in 2008 reached 2.4 million while the data showed 687 thousands for the opposite.
"We are short in number of visitors. The cooperation is expected to offset the figure," the minister said.
Jero Wacik expected to sign the agreement. "We hope the secretary general of both ministry offices will prepare it in sooner time," he said.