Minister Wacik Bullish on Tourism Targets

(4/23/2011)

Foreign exchange generated from Indonesia's tourism sector totaled an estimated US$7.6 billion in 2010.

The Minister of Culture and Tourism, Jero Wacik, recently told a gathering at Nusa Dua in Bali that his department is targeting US$8.5 billion in much needed foreign currency earnings from the tourism sector in 2011, representing an increase of 11.8%.

According to Bisnis Bali, Minister Wacik remains optimistic that with an average 4,500 daily foreign tourist arrivals in Bali the country will help Indonesia meet its tourism goals. Wacik elaborated on his projections, explaining how after the first Bali bombing in 2002 arrivals plummeted to 600 people per day and after the second Bali bombing arrivals decreased again, but only to 1,400 daily foreign visitors. Wacik said that daily arrivals in Bali can sometimes hit 7,000 people a day, adding, "this is extraordinary; I am optimistic this year's target can be achieved."

Pushing a "Bali and Beyond" strategy for tourism, Wacik sees Bali as a corridor to other tourism destinations in Indonesian, such as Lombok, Java and other locales.