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Businesses expect muted recovery after 2023 tourism rebound
The 2023 tourism figure was nearly double the 5.9 million visits recorded in the year before, marking a continued recovery after a pandemic-induced nadir of 1.7 million visits in 2021.
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Staying afloat: A traditional pinisi boat anchors in the waters near the Meurorah Komodo Hotel, a venue for the ASEAN Summit, in Labuan Bajo, East Nusa Tenggara, on May 8, 2023. (Antara/Akbar Nugroho Gumay)
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ore than 11 million foreign tourists visited Indonesia last year, according to Statistics Indonesia (BPS), signaling a strong post-pandemic recovery, but businesses expect greater challenges this year as potential visitors and politicians keep their eye on the general election.
The 2023 tourism figure was nearly double the 5.9 million visits recorded in the year before, marking a continued rebound after a pandemic-induced nadir of 1.7 million visits in 2021.
However, the 2023 count remains below the 16.1 million foreign tourist visits logged in 2019, before the pandemic.
Nonetheless, the figure exceeded the Tourism and Creative Economy Ministry’s target of 8.5 million foreign tourist visits for last year.
“The tourism sector’s performance in 2023 had been very good,” Indonesian Hotel and Restaurant Association (PHRI) secretary-general Maulana “Alan” Yusran told The Jakarta Post on Thursday.
He said it thanks to a handful of international events initiated or promoted by the government, which spurred a number of bookings in the meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions (MICE) category.
One such gathering was the ASEAN Summit, which had constituent events in tourist destinations such as Bali and Labuan Bajo, West Nusa Tenggara.
