New agreement paves way for more Chinese tourists to Indonesia

Speaking during a press conference in Jakarta last weekend, the Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy Mari Elka Pangestu said that the recent MoU between Indonesia and China on tourism cooperation – which was signed during President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono’s visit to China last month – would help to boost arrivals.

The bilateral agreement involved joint marketing and giving support to Indonesia during promotional activities in China and vice versa, Pangestu explained.

Accessibility is a major factor determining the success of the co-operation, said Pangestu, who cited improving flight connections to more Chinese destinations beyond the major cities as crucial to grow traffic.

“Garuda Indonesia has increased its flights from three times per week to daily (between Jakarta and Shanghai), but there are many other cities in China, like Guangzhou and Xiamen, which are potential markets. We also need flights connecting those cities.”

“Garuda, Lion Air, Batavia Air and other Indonesian carries are doing feasibility studies to open services to China.”

Last year, visitor arrivals from China to Indonesia totalled 504,749, a 19 per cent increase over 2010. In January and February this year, the number of tourists from China reached 136,856, a rise of 54.1 per cent over 88,784 arrivals for the same period in 2010. (Source: TTG Asia)