Indonesia seeks ways to attract more Chinese tourists

Indonesia is taking steps to attract more Chinese tourists during the upcoming year-end holiday season by embarking a team to promote national tourism sector in Chinese cities of Shanghai and Zhengzhou this month.

The team would organize various promotion activities from Sept. 22 to 26 in the two cities aimed at grabbing more holiday traveling package sales from Chinese customers, improve awareness on Indonesia's tour destinations and promote new tour events in the country.

In Shanghai, the Indonesian team would initiate a meeting between Indonesian travel agents and their Chinese counterparts on Sept. 22 so as to sell holiday packages of several destinations in Indonesia.

The team has also set ways to improve Indonesia's tour brand awareness by placing the Wonderful Indonesia logo in several strategic locations in Shanghai and Zhengzhou.

In Zhengzhou, the team would present Indonesian cultural dancers to demonstrate the best of Indonesia's traditional dances from across the country.

Particular Indonesian food, snacks and various kinds of coffee which have been favored by foreign people would also be served in the event scheduled to be held in the city's prominent mall.

The upcoming concerted promotion program in China was intended to actively promote Indonesia's new tour destinations other than Bali, which has been the favorite to Chinese tourists and other ones as well.

Indonesia expects to see 5 million tourists from China to visit Indonesia by 2019, to contribute to the target of 20 million foreign tourist visits set by government by 2019, a statement released recently by the ministry said.

China is included in Indonesia's free visa program, which enables tourists from China to simply come to Indonesia without undergoing lengthy immigration procedure.

Tourism sector was highly expected to contribute to the nation's economy in the future as Indonesia continues to see downturn in its economic drivers that include oil and gas mining, coal and palm oil.

With all of integrated efforts in the country, the tourism sector was expected to earn more than 20 billion U.S. dollars by 2019.