Global crisis will benefit tourism – Indonesia minister
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The Indonesian Minster for Culture and Tourism has said that the current global financial crisis will benefit Indonesia’s tourism industry, the Jakarta Post has reported. Jero Wacik made the comments at a meeting of the Association of Indonesian Tours and Travel Agencies (ASITA), stating his believe that the economic downturn will bring more arrivals into the country, as they need to holiday to “relieve the stress”.
“The crisis is stressing so many people out. They need to relax to relieve the stress,” Wacik said. “That’s why I am optimistic the number of foreign tourists visiting Indonesia will increase.”
Optimistic indeed. The government has set a target of receiving 7 million foreign tourists in 2008 - a marked increase from the 5.5 million received last year. In the year to August Indonesia had greeted 4 million foreign tourists, but Wacik said he was optimistic the target would be met.
“We are cooperating with tourism players such as ASITA, hoteliers and airlines to improve promotions and services, increase the number of foreign flights and events in tourism spots and maintain security,” Wacik said. “We will boost (our efforts) in November and December by adding more foreign flights and by increasing interesting tourism events to lure tourists to stay longer and spend more here.”
Wacik also called on Indonesians to holiday at home to increase the industry’s revenue.
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