Roundup: Indonesia ramps up global tourism promotion to attract more int'l tourists

JAKARTA, June 19 (Xinhua) -- Indonesia is strengthening its promotional efforts to tap into the growing global tourist market, as the Southeast Asian archipelago continues to struggle to catch up with neighboring countries in attracting international visitors.
Last year, Indonesia received around 14 million foreign tourists, while Singapore welcomed 16.5 million, Malaysia 25 million, Vietnam 17.6 million, and Thailand 35.5 million.
According to data from Statistics Indonesia, the majority of foreign tourists in 2024 came from Malaysia, followed by Australia, Singapore, China, and Timor-Leste.
This year, the country is targeting 14 to 16 million foreign tourist arrivals to boost foreign exchange and encourage economic growth through the tourism sector. Several popular tourist destinations in Indonesia, including the island resort of Bali, the Borobudur Temple in Central Java, and Raja Ampat in the easternmost region of Papua, all offer stunning views.
Meanwhile, some of the leading entry points for foreign tourists to Indonesia are Batam in the Riau Islands Province, located near Singapore and Malaysia, as well as Bali and Jakarta.
In a bid to increase the global competitiveness of Indonesian tourism, Tourism Minister Widiyanti Putri Wardhana said recently that the government is committed to further strengthening its promotional efforts in international markets.
Moreover, the ministry has undertaken several diplomatic initiatives to boost the country's tourism industry. Late last month, Indonesia's Tourism Ministry and the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of China signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on cooperation.
"The MoU is expected to increase the exchange of visits between the two countries, specifically through facilitating promotional activities carried out by the government and business actors," Wardhana said last week at the ministry.
She added that advancing the Indonesian tourism industry requires a strong spirit of collaboration and collective commitment among ministries, institutions, and friendly countries, with the hope that tourism can become an economic and social force that benefits the entire community.
Indonesia also held bilateral meetings with several countries during the 123rd session of the UN Tourism Executive Council, which took place in Spain late last month. The ministry discussed collaboration opportunities with several nations, including Spain, India, Mexico, and Tunisia, during the forum.
"We will continue to move forward with the principles of sustainability, inclusiveness, and global competitiveness, while ensuring that the growth of this sector aligns with efforts to preserve culture and the environment," she added.

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

New Straits Times

2 hours ago

• New Straits Times

Anwar: Reforms paying off as Malaysia rises in global rankings

PUTRAJAYA: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim today highlighted Malaysia's improving economic trajectory, citing robust growth, lower unemployment, and renewed investor confidence. He attributed these positive developments to a series of fiscal reforms and targeted policies, while firmly dismissing allegations of economic mismanagement by the government. Speaking at the Finance Ministry's monthly assembly, he said the latest data told a story of recovery, reform, and resilience. Malaysia has climbed 11 spots to rank 23rd in the 2025 IMD World Competitiveness Ranking — its highest position since 2020 — with notable gains in economic performance, government efficiency, and business competitiveness. The country's gross domestic product (GDP) expanded by 5.1 per cent in 2024, exceeding the 3.5 per cent recorded in 2023 and surpassing official projections. The unemployment rate fell to 3 per cent in April 2025 — the lowest in a decade. The ringgit also posted significant gains, emerging as one of Asia's top-performing currencies. It appreciated by 5.2 per cent against the US dollar and strengthened against regional currencies such as the Indonesian rupiah and Chinese renminbi. Anwar said that Malaysia's fiscal reforms had received commendation from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), which described the Fiscal Responsibility Act 2023 as a major milestone. The fiscal deficit has been reduced from 5.5 per cent in 2022 to 4.1 per cent in 2024, with a target of 3.8 per cent for 2025. Federal borrowing has also decreased, with new debt issuance falling from RM100 billion in 2022 to RM85 billion in 2024. This, Anwar said, had enabled the government to sustain public services while maintaining fiscal discipline. He stressed that the reforms were undertaken without placing undue burden on the public. The government had broadened the tax base and restructured subsidies to ensure more effective support and service delivery. Eighty-five per cent of households were unaffected by electricity tariff adjustments, while diesel subsidies for logistics vehicles were maintained to prevent a knock-on effect on prices. Inflation remained contained at 1.8 per cent in 2024. The adjustment to the Sales and Service Tax (SST), effective from July 1, excludes essential goods. Analysts have forecast only a marginal inflationary impact of 0.25 per cent. With improved fiscal space, the government has been able to boost allocations for public assistance and essential services. A record RM13 billion was channelled to the SARA and STR cash aid programmes this year, benefiting nine million recipients. Funding for education and healthcare was also raised to RM64 billion and RM45 billion, respectively. "This nation inherited a burdensome fiscal structure — ballooning debt, a narrow revenue base, and untargeted subsidies that disproportionately benefited the wealthy and foreign nationals. "Whether we liked it or not, reform was essential. Since the Madani government took office, we have embraced bold, corrective policies to restore our fiscal foundation and uplift the people's lives," he said.

The Sun

3 hours ago

• The Sun

China's Xi tells NZ's Luxon ‘no conflicts of interest'

BEIJING: Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Friday that Beijing had 'no fundamental conflicts of interest' with New Zealand, as he welcomed Prime Minister Christopher Luxon on an official visit. Luxon's trip comes at a time of tension with New Zealand's close partner the Cook Islands over its ties with Beijing. The self-governing Pacific island nation has a 'free association' agreement with its former colonial ruler, which provides budgetary assistance and support on foreign affairs and defence. But the Cook Islands upset Wellington in February when it signed a string of strategic deals with China on deep-sea mining, regional cooperation and economic issues. Xi told Luxon on Friday that ties with New Zealand had 'long been at the forefront of China's relations with Western developed nations', according to Chinese state news agency Xinhua. 'There are no historical grievances or fundamental conflicts of interest between China and New Zealand,' the news agency reported Xi as saying. The Chinese leader added that the two countries should 'tap potential for cooperation in areas such as scientific and technological innovation, climate change response, and infrastructure'. They should also 'strengthen education, culture, youth, people-to-people and local exchanges, and enrich the connotations of bilateral relations', Xi said. 'We should respect each other, seek common ground while putting aside differences, and correctly view and handle the differences and disagreements between the two countries,' he said.

Malay Mail

3 hours ago

• Malay Mail

Xi to Luxon: No China-New Zealand conflict, even as Cook Islands pivot raises eyebrows

BEIJING, June 20 — Chinese President Xi Jinping said today that Beijing had 'no fundamental conflicts of interest' with New Zealand, as he welcomed Prime Minister Christopher Luxon on an official visit. Luxon's trip comes at a time of tension with New Zealand's close partner the Cook Islands over its ties with Beijing. The self-governing Pacific island nation has a 'free association' agreement with its former colonial ruler, which provides budgetary assistance and support on foreign affairs and defence. But the Cook Islands upset Wellington in February when it signed a string of strategic deals with China on deep-sea mining, regional cooperation and economic issues. Xi told Luxon today that ties with New Zealand had 'long been at the forefront of China's relations with Western developed nations', according to Chinese state news agency Xinhua. 'There are no historical grievances or fundamental conflicts of interest between China and New Zealand,' the news agency reported Xi as saying. The Chinese leader added that the two countries should 'tap potential for cooperation in areas such as scientific and technological innovation, climate change response, and infrastructure'. They should also 'strengthen education, culture, youth, people-to-people and local exchanges, and enrich the connotations of bilateral relations', Xi said. 'We should respect each other, seek common ground while putting aside differences, and correctly view and handle the differences and disagreements between the two countries,' he said. — AFP