INDONESIA EYES UP TO 16 MLN INTERNATIONAL TOURISTS NEXT YEAR

By Mohd Iswandi Kasan Anuar

JAKARTA, Dec 21 (Bernama) -- Indonesia’s Ministry of Tourism aims to attract between 14.6 and 16 million international visitors and 1.08 billion domestic tourist movements by 2025, its Minister Widiyanti Putri Wardhana said.

As of October 2024, the country recorded 11.6 million international arrivals, close to the 2023 total of 11.7 million, and expects to reach 12 million before the year ends.

Domestic tourist movements reached 839.4 million trips from Jan to Oct 2024, with a projected total of 850 million by Dec 2024.

“These figures are nearly on par with the 2023 total of 839.7 million trips,” Widiyanti said in a media briefing on Friday.

The sector is also expected to contribute 4.6 per cent to gross domestic product (GDP), generate between US$19 billion and US$22.1 billion in foreign exchange, and create 25.8 million jobs.

“We view 2025 as a crucial moment to lay the foundation for quality tourism, focusing on sustainability and added value,” she added.

Tourism’s contribution to GDP in the first half of 2024 reached 4.01 per cent, exceeding last year’s 3.9 per cent.

Foreign exchange earnings from tourism reached US$12.63 billion in the third quarter of 2024, while the number of tourism workers in the first half of the year stood at 24.5 million.

Investment in the tourism and creative economy sector between Jan and Sept 2024 totalled US$2.4 billion, with Singapore, Australia, India, Japan, and France being the leading sources of foreign investment.

The most popular sectors for investment include star-rated hotels, restaurants, hotel apartments, bars, and amusement areas, Widiyanti added.

-- BERNAMA