JAKARTA – Following a decline in the number of Chinese tourists caused by the increased tension of China’s trade war with the United States, the Indonesian government is now seeking to lure more visitors from European countries.
“We don’t have to (rely on) Chinese tourists all the time. We will shift our target to European countries such as the United Kingdom, which we haven’t really tapped into,” Tourism and Creative Economy Minister Wishnutama Kusubandio told tempo.co on Dec 25.
According to Mr Wishnutama, the characteristics of Indonesia’s tourist destinations, which mostly boast natural wonders, suit the European market, which largely prefers outdoor activities such as sailing in Labuan Bajo in East Nusa Tenggara and Tanjung Puting in Central Kalimantan.
However, marketing the archipelago as a tourist destination for Europeans would be more costly as it requires more effort, reported the Jakarta Post.
“But it’s a market with potential. We can see now that Labuan Bajo has been welcoming mostly Western tourists,” said Mr Wishnutama, adding that the ministry was also wanted to attract more tourists from the United States and Australia who have similar interests.
According to governmental statistics, Indonesia welcomed 1,565,200 tourists from Europe between January and September 2019. The number is slightly less than the 1,566,900 in 2018.
During the same period, Indonesia reportedly welcomed 482,500 American tourists, which was an increase of 12.93% compared to last year.
Although Mr Wishutama said that he would shift his focus to marketing Indonesian tourism destinations in Europe and other Western countries, he also said he will keep encouraging tourists from China.
He named Likupang and Manado in North Sulawesi as the main destinations to attract the Chinese.
Based on data, the number of Chinese tourist visits between January 2019 and May 2019 grew just 2.2%. Following the decline, Malaysia replaced China as the number one foreign tourist contributor to Indonesia thanks to its 23.04% growth during the same period.