Foreign tourist arrivals up in May

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)