“Chinese tourists love to travel to Indonesia,” Chinese Ambassador to Indonesia Xiao Qian said on Friday during a breaking-of-the-fast event at the Chinese Embassy in Jakarta.

According to the embassy, more than 2.1 million Chinese tourists visited Indonesia last year.  

Xiao Qian said that Chinese travelers were interested in various activities in Indonesia, including beach and water activities, wedding ceremonies as well as visiting historical relics, such as Borobudur and Prambanan temples in Central Java.

“There are so many things to see in the country,” he said.

Xiao Qian mentioned that Bali remained the most popular destination for Chinese travelers as many direct flights are available from China to the island.

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The ambassador also said that most Chinese travelers came from the southern part of China, as travelers from the northern part would have to take longer flights to Indonesia.

When asked about ways to boost the number of Chinese tourists visiting Indonesia, Xiao Qian suggested the improvement of tourism infrastructure, such as building bigger airports.

Xiao Qian reasoned that bigger planes were needed to carry travelers from the northern part of China, making the airport size crucial to accommodate the aircraft.

“We also need more direct flights in other cities or provinces,” he said.  

Moreover, Xiao said facilities such as information for tourists in Chinese languages and Chinese-speaking tour guides were also needed to attract more Chinese travelers.

“The tourism facilities in Indonesia are very good. But if you want to increase [the number of Chinese tourists visiting the country], you need to improve, especially in cities other than Jakarta and [in] Bali,” he said. (wng)