RI remains favorite destination of Malaysians and Australians

Blessed with an exotic cultural heritage and wonderful natural scenery, Indonesia remains the favorite destination of travelers from Malaysia, Australia and Singapore, a travel survey shows.

According to the survey conducted by Visa and Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) in cooperation with AC Nielsen, respondents from the three neighboring countries were more likely to choose Indonesia as the country they wanted to travel to in the future.

Twenty-nine percent of the respondents who said they planned to visit Indonesia within the next two years were from Malaysia, 18 percent were from Australia and 15 percent were from Singapore.

“They are planning to visit Indonesia in the next two years, which is a vibrant reflection on our country’s tourism industry,” Visa country manager Ellyana Fuad told a press conference at the launch of the 2010 Asia Pacific Travel Intentions Survey.

The survey was conducted on 6,714 respondents from 13 key Asia Pacific travel markets, comprising Australia, Taiwan, Hong Kong, India, Japan, China, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, the United Kingdom and the United States.

“Those travelers were mostly attracted by Indonesia’s newer destinations, natural sceneries and affordability,” Ellyana said.

Malaysian travelers, for example, were attracted by promotional travel deals and affordable travel prices, especially those of low-cost airlines, she said.

She said about 59 percent of the total number of respondents who were considering visiting Indonesia had visited the country in the past two years.

“They are considering visiting Indonesia again as they are drawn by, among other things, the great culinary experiences that Indonesia offers,” she said, adding that great food and dining were the two top reasons tourists returned to Indonesia.

She said Indonesian cuisine was influenced by foreign and domestic cultures, making for a diverse selection for travelers.

According to the survey, golf and scuba diving were the most popular outdoor sports that attracted travelers, while adventures, festivals and entertainment attracted younger travelers of between 18 and 24 years old. Travelers of 45 years old and over preferred natural scenery.

“We can benefit from these preferences,” Ellyana said, adding that Mentawai in West Sumatra was the second-best surfing location in the world.

Separately, Visa’s Southeast Asia corporate relations director Hope Ewing said Wednesday the survey was aimed at improving the development of Indonesia’s tourism industry, which was receiving more foreign tourists every year.

“The people who think about Indonesia are those who are close and familiar with Indonesia. So, we are focusing specifically on the people who want to come back here,” she told The Jakarta Post.

Central Statistics Agency (BPS) head Rusman Heriawan recently announced that the number of foreign tourists visiting Indonesia reached 586,500 in August, a 3.48 percent increase from 566,800 in the same month of last year.

In the first eight months, the number of foreign tourists visiting Indonesia reached 4.63 million, a 12.12 percent increase from 4.13 million in the same period of last year. (ebf)