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Ministries, city to raise foreign visitors
The Jakarta administration will cooperate with the Tourism Ministry and Office of the Coordinating Maritime Affairs Minister in an attempt to increase the number of foreign tourists in the city from the current 2
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he Jakarta administration will cooperate with the Tourism Ministry and Office of the Coordinating Maritime Affairs Minister in an attempt to increase the number of foreign tourists in the city from the current 2.31 million to 5 million in two years.
'We have decided to establish a brand identity for Jakarta's tourism, which is divided into four categories: business, maritime, culinary, and arts and culture. Business is one of Jakarta's main attractions. Many foreign visitors come to the city to do business,' Tourism Minister Arief Yahya said after a joint meeting at the Office of the Coordinating Maritime Affairs Minister in Central Jakarta on Wednesday.
The Jakarta branch of the Statistics Agency (BPS) early this year revealed that in 2014, foreigner visits to the city accounted for 2.319 million of the country's total 9.4 million foreign tourists.
As many as 2.24 million tourists entered Jakarta through Soekarno Hatta Airport in Tangerang; 7,917 through Halim Perdanakusuma Airport in East Jakarta; and 64,941 via Tanjung Priok Seaport in North Jakarta.
Arief said that Jakarta had much potential as its north coast Thousand Islands regency was a popular tourist attraction.
He went on to say that the ministry had allocated Rp 100 billion (US$7,199,141) this year to promote tourism in Jakarta and would increase the allocation in next year's budget.
Arief further said that the ministry and the city administration would establish a task force consisting of promotion and destination development experts to reach the five million foreign tourists goal in two years.
As part of the attempts to develop Thousand Islands as a tourist destination, Governor Basuki 'Ahok' Tjahaja Purnama said that the first task was to provide enough electricity for the islands by building a gas-fueled powerplant (PLTG).
The city has plans to cooperate with state-owned oil and gas company PT Pertamina and state-owned electricity firm PT PLN to develop PLTGs in Thousand Islands this year.
'We will also develop an air strip in Panjang Island, and sea ports in the islands,' Ahok said.
He also reported that the city administration would continue to develop its transportation infrastructure and to cut red tape for firms seeking to build conference and exhibition (MICE) venues.
