More Than 12 Million Tourists Visit Indonesia in 2016
Minister of Tourism as a Keynote Speaker at Public Relations Coordination Agency (Bakohumas) Forum, at Soesilo Soedarman Hall, Sapta Pesona Building, Jakarta, Wednesday (10/5) (Photo: PR/Edi)
As many as 12,023,971 tourists visited Indonesia in 2016 or increased by 15.5 percent compared to the figure in 2015 that reached 10,406,759 people.
In the meantime, based on the report of The Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Index (TTCI) of 2017, according to Minister of Tourism Arief Yahya, Indonesias tourism competitiveness index is at number 42, or the fourth after Singapore (13), Malaysia (26), and Thailand (34).
Indonesias rank in 2017 (42) increases by 8 positions compared to 2015 which was at rank 50, Arief explained at the opening of Thematic Forum of Public Relations Coordination Agency (Bakohumas) organized by Ministry of Tourism at Soesilo Soedarman Hall, Sapta Pesona Building, Jakarta, Wednesday (10/5), featuring a theme Indonesia Incorporated to Reach 20 Million Foreign Tourists by 2019.
The Minister added that Indonesia received an award forits branding of tourism and promotion Wonderful Indonesia in 2016-2017. During 2016, Wonderful Indonesia received 46 awards in 22 countries. At the biggest tourism exhibition, 2015 and 2016 Internationale Tourisme Börse (ITB) Berlin, Indonesia won a title the Best Exhibitor and defeated Korea as well as India.
Top-three Muslim Friendly
According to Minister Arief Yahya, in May 2017, Indonesia became part of top three muslim-friendly destinations, which created by Mastercard-Crescent Rating Global Muslim Travel Index 2017. Indonesia managed to rise 1 rank higher, outranking Turkey (4), Saudi Arabia (5), and Qatar (6).
For Indonesia, tourism gives significant contribution to GDP, foreign exchange, and employment, Arief said. By 2020, tourism sector is predicted to be the biggest contributor of Indonesias foreign exchange, he further said.
The Thematic Forum of Bakohumas was attended by Secretary to the Minister of Tourism Ukus Kuswara, Director General of Information and Public Communication of the Ministry of Communication and Informatics Niken Widiastuti, as well as officials and practitioners of ministries/institutions public relations. (EN/ES)(MMB/YM/Naster)
