The Government Still Expects to Obtain Visits of 1.2 Million Australian Tourists

Minister of Tourism Arief Yahya answering reporters’ questions after limited meeting, at Bogor Palace, on Monday (16/2)

Although there is the tendency of strained relations between the two countries, related to Indonesian government’s decision will still execute death row inmates of narcotics and drugs (Narkoba), included against two Australians Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran, the Indonesian government through the Ministry of Tourism still expect target of 1, 2 million tourists visit from the land of kangaroos could be achieved.

“No correction target of cooperation with Australian although perceived that the people relations between the two countries are not so good,” Minister for Tourism Ariel Yahya said  after attending a limited cabinet meeting chaired by President Joko Widodo (Jokowi), in Bogor Palace, West Java, on Monday (16 / 2).

Arief mentions, currently the number tourists from Australian has reached 1 million tourists, and is expected in 2015 to break the 1.2 million tourists, or an increase of 20 percent.

“For tourism the people to people not government to government. It is expected the people to people relations, social and cultural relations between the people of Indonesia and the people of Australian remains good cooperation,” Minister of Tourism said.

All Ministry Support

Minister for Tourism Arief Yahya said the government plans to make tourism as a leading scctor. In this regard, all the ministries that have the duties and functions (tupokasi) related with tourism assembled a unified vision and perception to support the plan.

According to Minister of Tourism, so far at the national level there are three (3) areas that contribute to the arrival of most tourists, ie Bali, Jakarta and Batam (Riau Islands), that contributes 90 percent.

Afterwards, there are five (5) areas also contribute to bring tourists with quite large, ie: Bandung, Surabaya, Yogyakarta, Solo, and Makassar.  (Humas Setkab/ES)