JAKARTA: Malaysia constitutes Indonesia’s largest tourism market with one million of 6.4 million tourist arrivals until November this year.
Bandung is Malaysians preferred destination for shopping sprees or golf trips.
Australia is a close second with 600,000 tourist arrivals followed by China (400,000), said Indonesia Culture and Tourism Department director-general Sapta Nirwandar.
Indonesia Culture and Tourism Minister Jero Waci said the Indonesian tourism revenue dropped by 12.3 per cent to US$6.4 billion this year compared to last year while domestic tourism contributed US$12.8 billion.
About 40 per cent of the revenue is contributed by Meeting-Incentive-Conference-Exhibition (MICE) activities despite two bombings in July.
Jero Wacik said the highest tourism revenue of US$7.3 billion was recorded in 2008.
He said Indonesia aimed at attracting seven million foreign tourist arrivals in 2010, up by eight per cent in revenue to US$7 billion while domestic tourism was targeted to contribute US$13 billion.
The republic will spend US$130 million next year to woo foreign and local tourists.
Tourist arrivals in Indonesia this year were affected by the bombing of two luxury hotels in the capital which claimed nine lives. — Bernama