RI Targets 3 Million Chinese Tourists In 2016

Jakarta, Jan 13 (Antara) - Indonesia has set a target to attract three million Chinese tourists in 2016, newly appointed Indonesian Ambassador to China Sugeng Rahardjo stated here on Monday, during a visit to Antara. "Last year, about 800 thousand Chinese tourists visited Indonesia. We are keen to increase this number to three million people in the next three years," Sugeng remarked. According to Sugeng, the key to boosting the number of Chinese tourists visiting Indonesia is by conducting an intensive promotional campaign and through cultural diplomacy. Promoting new tourist destinations was also another means of attracting more Chinese tourists. He cited the example of the Singkawang City, in West Kalimantan Province, which is home to hundreds of Chinese temples, as 70 percent of its population is of Chinese descendant (Hakka tribe). Indonesia plans to attract more Chinese tourists, but a good strategy is required for effective execution of the plan, the country`s Minister of Tourism, Mari Elka Pangestu, noted during a visit to China, in September 2013. "Besides that, Indonesia must also adopt a quicker and more professional approach in order to exploit the potential (offered by Chinese tourists)," she added after a meeting with Chairman of the China National Tourism Administration (CNTA) Shao Qiwei. During the meeting, the two officials agreed to renew the memorandum of understanding (MoU) on tourism, which was signed by the two countries in 2000. The renewal was necessary to keep pace with the fast-growing tourism market. According to the U.N. World Tourism Organization (UNWTO 2013), China ranks first as the largest spender in international tourism globally. The Chinese tourists spent up to US$102 million in 2012 or 40 percent higher than the US$73 million they spent in 2011. The number of Chinese traveling abroad has also shown a steady rise from only 10 million in 2000 to 83 million in 2012. However, the number of Chinese tourists flocking to Indonesia was still small and pegged at only 726,088 in 2012. This figure was lower than the number of Chinese tourists visiting Malaysia, which was recorded at 1.56 million and Thailand at 2.7 million. Taking this data into consideration, Indonesia must have an effective strategy in place and work swiftly to increase the number of Chinese tourists coming to Indonesia through several means, including the renewal of the MOU, Pangestu explained.