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Indonesia eyes Indian tourists visiting Malaysia, Singapore
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A surfer rides a wave at the Asian Surfing Tour 2018 in Kuta, Bali on May 5. (Antara/Sonny Tumbelaka)
T
he government has said it is aiming at luring Indian tourists who regularly visit Malaysia and Singapore, given the limited number of direct flights between India and Indonesia.
India is seen as a potentially major market that can help the government realize its ambition of welcoming 17 million foreign tourists this year, said Tourism Ministry marketing deputy II Nia Niscaya on Friday.
This year, the government targets to welcome 700,000 tourists from India, up from 485,000 Indian tourist arrivals last year.
"The target of 700,000 [Indian] tourists can't be reached only through direct flights. We have to work with others or we use Malaysia and Singapore as hubs," Nia said.
Currently, only national flag carrier Garuda Indonesia serves direct flights from Mumbai to Denpasar.
Nia said the government had to cooperate with local and foreign agents to attract Indian tourists who visit Singapore and Malaysia in order to encourage them to continue their holiday in Indonesia. (bbn)
