Bali expected to lure 40% of 2017 tourist arrivals

Bali is expected to attract 40 percent of the total target of 15 million foreign tourists to Indonesia in 2017.

The province has been given a bigger portion than other regions because it still remains the prime destination for foreign tourists, according to the Assistant Deputy for Tourism Human Resource Development, Wisnu Bawa Tarunajaya, on Saturday (Jan. 21).

“Bali is still number one compared to the other regions in Indonesia,” he said.

The capital Jakarta is expected to attract 30 percent, while Batam in the Sumatran province of Riau Islands is expected to get 20 percent. All other regions of the country are expected to get the remaining 10 percent.

The three major regions will play important roles in meeting the targets for attracting foreign tourism in Indonesia, added Tarunajaya.

In order for the other regions to compete, the Ministry of Tourism is also planning to develop new tourist destinations. These include Toba Lake in North Sumatra, Tanjung Klayang in Bangka-Belitung province, Thousand Islands in Jakarta and Tanjung Lesung in Banten province, West Java. Mandalika in Lombok in West Nusa Tenggara, Labuhan Bajo in East Nusa Tenggara, Wakatobi in Southeast Sulawesi and Morotai in North Maluku are also listed for potential development.

Through careful planning and sustainable development, the Ministry of Tourism is hoping to boost the promotion of new tourist destinations to attract more foreign visitors, said Tarunajaya.

He also mentioned that most of the foreign tourists that are expected to visit this year are likely to come from China and other ASEAN countries, as well as Australia.