RI VISITED BY OVER 4.6 MILLION TOURISTS UNTIL SEPTEMBER

Jakarta, Nov 2 (ANTARA) - More than 4.61 million foreign tourists visited Indonesia in the first nine months of 2009, up 1.07 percent from the same period last year, a Tourism and Culture Ministry official said.

"In September 2009 alone, the number of tourist arrivals was 493,799," head of the ministry's data processing and network system center Ir. Wibowo said here on Monday.

Compared to the same period last year, the number of tourist arrivals in September 2009 slightly fell 1.44 percent, he said.

He said seven entry points including Ngurah Rai, Polonia and Sam Ratulangi Airports saw an increase in the number of tourist arrivals in September 2009.

A total of 218.245 foreign tourists visited Indonesia via Ngurah Rai Airport in September 2009, a 15.32 percent increase compared to the same period last year, he said.

Meanwhile, the number of tourist arrivals through Polonia Airport in Medan and Sam Ratulangi Airport in Manado respectively rose 20.96 percent to 9,702 and 24.85 percent to 2,633 from a year earlier, he said.

He said eight other main entry points including Soekarno-Hatta and Juanda Airports recorded a decline in the number of tourist arrivals in September 2009.

The number of tourist arrivals through Soekarno-Hatta Airport in September 2009 fell 10.96 percent to 87,047 compared to the same period last year, he said.

Indonesia has set the target of tourist arrivals this year at 6.5 million. The figure is projected to increase to 7 million next year. ***