Government forecasts tourist arrivals to pass 5 million

JAKARTA (JP): The government says the number of foreigners visiting Indonesia could reach between 5 and 5.5 million this year, exceeding an initial forecast of 3.9 to 4.4 million, provided the existing security and order is maintained.

"The first semester of 1999 showed an incredible growth of foreign tourist arrivals, which increased by more than 10 percent compared to the same period of 1998," Director General of Tourism I Gede Ardika said on Monday.

The Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture had earlier predicted a lower figure, based on the assumption that foreign tourists would stay away from Indonesia because of predicted unrest and violence in the run-up to the June general election.

Speaking after a ceremony to present five citizens with Tourism and Culture Pioneer Awards, Ardika said that traditionally, the second half of the year would bring more tourists to Indonesia due to the holiday season for Europeans, North Americans and Japanese in July, August and September.

The ministry's latest report on foreigners arriving through Indonesia's 13 points of entry showed that 1.86 million foreigners visited Indonesia in the first six months of 1999, compared with 1.69 million in the corresponding period of 1998.

In June, 308,348 foreigners arrived, a 20.3 percent increase from the previous year. The highest monthly increase this year was in May with 22.9 percent.

The report does not provide a breakdown between foreigners visiting for business or leisure. The figure includes the hordes of foreign journalists who covered the June elections, and also United Nations officials who are preparing for East Timor's August ballot.

Bali kept its spot as the country's most favored destination, attracting 683,083 foreigners in the first half, a 32.3 percent increase over the same period last year, according to the report.

Jakarta saw an 18.3 percent drop in the number of foreign visitors to 360,186 during the first six months.

Batam, a favorite weekend getaway for Singaporeans, saw a 17 percent increase in the number of foreign visitors to 606,188.

Ardika acknowledged that last week's violent ethnic clashes in Batam would hurt the local tourist industry, but he declined to predict the impact on the number of visitors.

Bali was not affected by the political climate in Indonesia, attested by reconfirmations of hotel bookings by would-be holidaymakers, he said.

The Tourism and Cultural Pioneer Awards were presented on Monday by Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture Marzuki Usman to Suhardi of Gadjah Mada University for the utilization of cassava for primary food; Oemi Han'in Soeseno of Gadjah Mada University for her work in developing forestry estates in the rocky and arid Gunung Kidul area in Central Java; Larasati Suliantoro Sulaiman of the Mayasari Indonesia - Flower Society for her work in flower culture and arrangement; Robby King Tjoen Ko for developing cave tourism in Pacitan, Central Java; and to Hermanus Lainsamputty, who makes handicraft souvenirs for tourists. (02)