The ministry’s director for Asia-Pacific tourism promotion, Vinsensius Jemadu, said that this year’s increase would be part of Indonesia’s target to attract 10 million Chinese visitors by 2019.

“China is our strategic partner and main market for tourism. [Therefore] in the Tourism Ministry, China gets more than 50 percent of its budget for promotion,” he said in a meeting with Hubei tourism administration in Jakarta on Friday.

Vinsensius further said that aside from cooperation with the Hubei tourism administration, the ministry had also established cooperation with China’s Hainan tourism administration.

“Next month, Hainan Airlines and Capital Airlines can fly to Jakarta three times a week,” he said.

(Read also: Action needed to lure 10 million Chinese tourists to Indonesia)

Citilink, a subsidiary of national flag carrier Garuda Indonesia, was expected to fly to 17 cities in China from Tanjung Pinang in Riau Islands and Manado in North Sulawesi, based on the memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed by the Indonesian tourism minister in Beijing last year, Vincensius said.

The ministry offers an incentive of US$15 (Rp200,895) or $20 per passenger to airlines and wholesalers bringing visitors to Indonesian destinations outside of Bali and Jakarta. In addition, the Transportation Ministry will provide licenses of direct flights and offer free parking and landing to aircraft from Chinese airlines. (yon/lnd)

Popular

Power begins to return after outage in Indonesia's Bali island

The fragile promise of pluralism, religious freedom in Southeast Asia

Coffee, gold push up inflation to 1.95 percent in April