Target of 7 million foreign tourists ‘a long way off’

By Irawaty Wardany

Indonesia still has a long way to go to meet the Culture and Tourism Ministry’s target of seven million foreign tourists this year, a senior official said.

“In the first three months we recorded only 1.41 million foreign tourists to Indonesia or 16 percent of the target. It has does not indicate the target of seven million can be achieved,” Central Statistics Agency head Rusman Heriawan told a conference in Badung on Tuesday.

But the number was quite good compared with the same period last year when only 1.21 million were registered, especially considering the January-March period was usually the low season for foreign tourism, he said.

Rusman said he was quite sure the number would increase significantly in the next few months.

“We expect a larger number of foreign tourists in June, July and August, the peak season for the tourism industry. We’re optimistic about that,” he said.

He said as long as Indonesia could maintain the two things that are fundamental for tourism — infrastructure and safety — he was sure the government could meet the target.

“Foreign guests do not really consider prices; for them, safety and comfort come first,” he added.

Culture and Tourism Ministry secretary-general Wardiyatmo said his ministry had stepped up three programs in an effort to boost visits by foreign tourists.

“The first is marketing and promoting. We have joined international tourism markets including International Tourism Bourse in Berlin and World Travel Market in London,” he said.

Second, he said, the ministry had invited foreign journalists to cover Indonesia’s preparations for the Visit Indonesia 2008 campaign.

“Third, we are conducting sales missions to Europe, the Middle East and Australia,” he said.

Rusman said the Visit Indonesia 2008 campaign was an investment in Indonesia’s future tourism sector.

“We cannot expect an instant result from this campaign, so we can only continue our efforts in promoting tourism and expanding our market, and perhaps the results will be seen in the next few years,” he said.

Rusman said the impact of the U.S. decision to lift its travel warning on Indonesia should not be underestimated by operators in the tourism industry.

“We expect to see flow-on effects from the decision because we know the U.S. puts a strong emphasis onto its citizens’ safety,” he said.

Lifting the ban means the United States considers Indonesia a safe tourist destination, so could encourage not only visitors from the United States but also those from other countries.

Wardiyatmo said he expected a 15 percent increase in tourists from the United States.

Last year Indonesia recorded visits by 154,000 tourists from the United States. (The Jakarta Post)