Following Indonesia’s tourism slump caused by the multiple eruptions on Mount Agung in Bali, the government says it is looking to China to drive its resurgence.
“Visitors from China are extremely important for the tourism industry in Bali. We want to see them coming back to Bali again as soon as possible,” Vincensius Jemadu, Deputy Assistant for Asia Pacific Market Development at Indonesia’s Tourism Ministry, as quoted by Xinhua.
Bali as a tourist destination is vital to Indonesia’s economy as the island has been contributing around 40 percent to the nation’s overall foreign tourist arrivals for years.
Chinese tourists have been an integral part in Bali’s success. The island received 1.43 million Chinese tourists, which is about 25 percent of the total foreign tourists to Bali, in the first 11 months of 2017 according to data by Indonesia’s Central Agency on Statistics. However, the multiple eruptions in November of the same year and the subsequent short-term closure of the international airport on Bali have dealt a huge blow to the tourism industry there.
To re-attract Chinese tourists, Indonesia’s Tourism Ministry has provided promotions by offering tour package sales programs to be held in several Chinese cities this month.
This will strengthen the ministry’s current programs which are mainly focused on recovering the confidence of Chinese tourists in the safety aspects of Bali related to the volcanic events and trying to boost package sales.
Photo courtesy of Coconuts Bali.
Read more about Chinese tourists in Indonesia here.