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NDONESIA: More than 5,000 people attended the Destination Europe Travel and Cultural Fair on its opening day in Jakarta on Saturday, demonstrating the popularity of Europe among Indonesians as a tourist and study destination.

'€œIt is good to see the enthusiasm that Indonesians have for Europe,'€ European Union deputy head of delegation Colin Crooks told The Jakarta Post on Sunday, adding that the organizers of the event were currently surveying what Indonesians found interesting about the continent.

The event featured 70 vendors from 24 European Union member countries and non-EU states such as Georgia, Norway and Turkey.

Some European countries that recently established diplomatic missions in Indonesia are using the fair as a platform to measure the public'€™s interest and enthusiasm for their countries'€™ culture, and what the countries have to offer. Nations such as Ireland and Georgia have seen Indonesian tourists gradually increase over time. Georgia, which opened its Jakarta embassy in 2012, claims that 50 Indonesians visit the Caucasus nation annually.

Ireland, which established its embassy 11 weeks ago, saw a steady stream of visitors to its booth, with many inquiries related to tourism and education. '€œBy expanding into Indonesia, Ireland is opening up a new market for tourism and will also collaborate with Indonesia on trade projects, particularly in the fields of aviation and construction,'€ Irish Deputy Ambassador to Indonesia Tom Redmond told the Post.

According to recent EU data, about 200,000 Indonesians visit Europe annually as tourists and approximately 140,000 Indonesians applied for Schengen visas in 2013.