Tourist arrivals increase by only 7 percent

Tourist arrivals increase by only 7 percent

JAKARTA (JP): The government announced yesterday that the country's revenues from foreign tourists are estimated to increase by 10.8 percent to US$5.21 billion this year, up from $4.7 billion in 1994.

Minister of Tourism, Post and Telecommunications Joop Ave told a press conference that the number of tourist arrivals, however, increased by only 7.3 percent to 4.3 million this year from last year's level of slightly above four million.

The government, according to its five-year development plan, expected 4.5 million foreign tourists to visit Indonesia this year, bringing revenues of, at least, $6 billion. The number of tourist arrivals is projected to further increase to about five million to 5.4 million in 1996, bringing revenues of $6.91 billion.

Indonesia, targeting the tourist industry as a major foreign exchange earner by 2005, expects to attract 11.1 million visitors who will spend a total of $15 billion in the country.

The promotion of the country's tourist industry was hampered early this year when the Japanese press reported that dozens of tourists from Japan became ill with cholera after returning from Bali, even though there was actually no outbreak of the disease on the resort island. The issue subsided after top tourist and health officials from Indonesia and Japan held discussions.

Director General of Tourism Andi Mappi Sammeng said here yesterday that the bilateral discussions involved his Japanese counterpart, as well as top officials of the health offices of the two countries.

Garuda Indonesia, the country's flag carrier, acknowledged that the load factor for its Indonesia-Japan flight service this year was on a downward trend until August.

Japan and four other countries -- Singapore, Australia, Taiwan and Germany -- are major sources of tourists for Indonesia. In 1994 over half of all tourists, 56.83 percent, came from these five countries.

Official data show that of the four million foreign tourists visiting Indonesia last year, 1.01 million came from Singapore, 476,456 from Japan, 305,209 from Australia, 317,505 from Taiwan and 160,325 from Germany.

Joop also said yesterday that domestic investments committed for the establishment of tourist-related projects reached Rp 3.77 billion during the first 11 months of this year, while foreign investments committed for similar projects reached $781.02 million.

He said that to cope with the future development of the tourist industry, the country will establish and expand relevant infrastructure facilities, including airports.

A total of 23 airports all over Indonesia have been opened as international gateways in a bid to boost the tourism industry. (icn)