NEW DELHI: Indonesia anticipates event tourism to boost international arrivals this year after its unexpectedly holiday season in 2022.
Indonesian tourism stepped up following the Group of 20 (G20) summit in Bali in November and various related events throughout the year.
“Last year we were very pleased with the tourism growth despite the fact that the world was not totally open due to Covid-19,” Ni Made Ayu Marthini, Indonesia’s deputy minister for marketing at the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy, told Bernama in an interview recently.
Indonesia’s international arrivals were about 5.5 million last year, beating the target of 3.6 million.
The government removed all pandemic control requirements in December, making it simpler for tourists to enter Indonesia for leisure or MICE, and the goal target for 2023 is set at 7.4 million (meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions).
“We have a good track record in handling Covid-19. So we are quite confident to welcome everybody to Indonesia,” Made said.
According to her, “events-led tourism” will help Indonesia’s efforts to restore the tourist industry to pre-pandemic levels.
‘Super Priority Destinations’
As part of its strategy to develop locations beyond the popular island of Bali, the government has identified five “super priority destinations” – Lake Toba, Borobudur, Mandalika, Labuan Bajo and Likupang.
“These destinations are the new focus of our marketing. Bali has been a magnet for tourists, but I think Indonesia has a lot more to offer,” Made said.
Lake Toba, the largest lake in Southeast Asia, will host the F1 Powerboat (F1H2O) World Championship from February 24 to 26.
“Lake Toba earlier received mostly domestic tourists, but many foreign tourists have started coming to this area,” Made said.
Another major sporting event taking place this year is the Indonesian Grand Prix MotoGP race at the Mandalika International Circuit in October in Lombok near Bali.
“This area is less developed than Bali. MotoGP fans from all over the world will discover that it has beautiful beaches and islands,” Made said.
The national capital’s relocation to Nusantara in East Kalimantan will help in Indonesia’s long-term tourism growth, the minister said.
She said the new capital’s development will also “absolutely” benefit Malaysia economically as the two countries share a land border in that region.
Before the pandemic, Malaysia used to be Indonesia’s number one source of international tourists, with about 2.8 million Malaysians visiting the country in 2019, according to official Indonesian statistics.
Indonesia’s top source markets last year were Australia, Singapore, Malaysia, India, and Timor Leste.
Since China recently reopened its borders, the country’s arrivals from China, which was the second-largest source of tourists before the outbreak, have been encouraging, the Indonesian minister added.
“The first group of Chinese tourists came in January during the Chinese New Year. We have a target of 255,000 for Chinese tourists this year. But a lot of people in the industry want to go beyond that as two million Chinese tourists visited Indonesia in 2019,” Made said. – BERNAMA
