Foreign tourist arrivals up in May

JAKARTA (JP): The number of foreign tourists arriving in Indonesia increased by 22.85 percent in May, according to the latest report released by the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture here on Monday.

Approximately 301,000 foreign tourists visited the country in May, well above the projected 280,000 arrivals. The foreign tourists generated around US$281.04 million in foreign exchange earnings, the ministry said.

The report said around 112,241 tourists entered the country through Bali and another 104,391 tourists came into the country via Batam near Singapore.

The report said the 22.85 percent increase in tourist arrivals in May, when Indonesia's 16-day elections campaign was beginning, was the highest monthly increase in tourist arrivals this year. The largest previous increases were 16.31 percent in March and 10 percent in February.

"The high growth in May indicates foreign tourists are no longer as easily discouraged by rumors of riots as they were before," the report said.

Travel companies were apprehensive that tourist arrivals would decline sharply in May due to the elections campaign and the country's first multiparty general election on June 7.

Hoteliers and travel agents expected a large number of expatriates and locals to leave the country to avoid the widely expected riots during the elections.

Defying expectations, however, the campaign and elections were peaceful affairs.

Tourist arrivals in the first four months of the year declined significantly, lowering hotel occupancy rates to between 20 percent and 30 percent.

The ministry said it would launch a promotional campaign in Yunan province in mainland China in August and cultural exhibitions in the United States in September to attract more tourists.(cst)