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Indonesia eyes more tourists from India
Indonesian government has also implemented a free visa policy for tourists from India.
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Visitors take a selfie in front of Taj Mahal, India. (Shutterstock/Supamon R)
T
he Tourism Ministry together with Indonesian Consulate General (KJRI) in Mumbai is set to hold Wonderful Indonesia Promotion (PWI) activity at the diplomatic reception slated on Sept. 7.
The reception will also celebrate the 72nd anniversary of Indonesia’s Independence Day.
The promotional event will be attended by more than 300 guests including high-ranking officials of Maharashtra, employees of KJRI Mumbai, international organizations, entrepreneurs and travel agents from India.
The place itself will be decorated in Jakartan and Balinese style and feature traditional performances. Guests will also be given a batik scarf as souvenir.
According to the ministry's deputy assistant for Asia-Pacific Tourism Promotion Vinsensius Jemadu, India ranked first for the highest growth of tourist arrival in the first semester of 2017 with Bali as its most popular destination.
“Based on Central Statistics Agency [BPS] data, the number of Indian tourists in Bali until June is 129,727 people, up by 39.9 percent from the same period last year,” said Vinsensius.
Read also: Mandapa in Ubud named Asia's best hotel
One of the reasons why people from India love to go to Bali is because the Island of the Gods is dominated by Hindus. Another reason is the availability of direct flights to the place.
Since December last year, national flag carrier Garuda Indonesia has opened a direct flight route from Denpasar to Mumbai, which was soon followed by AirAsia with a route to Mumbai and Denpasar – Kolkata. A month later, Batik Air also launched a new route from Denpasar to Chennai.
Additionally, Indonesian government has also implemented a free visa policy for tourists from India.
Tourism Minister Arief Yahya said the number of tourist visit from India has exceeded Japan and Korea, putting the country in the fifth spot for the number of tourist arrival.
Moreover, in 2015 the number of outbound travelers from India reached 20,380,000, up by 11.1 percent from 2014.
“The number of rich people in India is equal to the entire population of Indonesia; around 250 million people. Tourists from India love to go to Bali, Jakarta and Medan,” said Arief. (kes)
