GOVT EXPECTS 7.7 MILLION FOREIGN TOURISTS IN 2011

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Dec 31 (ANTARA) - The Indonesian government officially announced on Friday its optimistic target of attracting 7.7 million foreign tourists into the country in 2011, up about 10 percent from 7,000,571 arrivals in 2010.          The foreign tourist arrival target was raised by about 10 percent because the world now had a good perception of Indonesia that could attract more visitors.          "Indonesia has a positive aura in 2011 so that we set an optimistic target of 7.7 million foreign tourist arrivals in the country," Culture and Tourism Minister Jero Wacik said in his year-end press conference on Friday.          Besides the optimistic target, the minister also set a pessimistic target of 7.3 million arrivals as a "performance contract" target of the culture and tourism ministry with the Indonesian President.          The minister raised the target for 2011 because his ministry's target to attract seven million foreign tourist arrivals in 2010 was achieved.          The number of foreign tourists arriving in Indonesia in 2010 was recorded at 7,000,571, or an increase by 8.5 percent compared with that in 2009 which stood at 6,452,259 arrivals.          "The figure of 7,000,571 exceeds the pessimistic target of 6.75 percent which was the performance contract with the President and the optimistic target of seven million," the minister said.          According to the minister, with the number of 7,00,571 foreign tourists arriving in 2010, Indonesia was able to collect a foreign exchange of US$7.6 billion.          Wacik said that the foreign tourists arriving in Indonesia in 2010 spent about US$1,085.70 per visit per person. Their average length of stay was recorded at about 8.04 days.          He said that the average spending of US$1,085.70 per visit per person in 2010 increased by 9 percent if compared with that in 2009 which stood at the average of US$995.93 per visit per person.          The length of their stay which is about 8.04 days in 2010 also increased by 5 percent as compared with that in 2009 which was about 7.69 days.          "The Central Bureau of Statistics (BPS) has recorded seven million foreign tourist arrivals or more than the target figure for 2010. More  detailed information on this matter will be given in early 2011," the minister said earlier when attending a  Visit Indonesia Year (VIY) 2010 appraisal night on  Monday.          Jero said the seven million foreign tourist arrivals constituted a new record because in 2009 the target figure was about 6.45 million.  "In my contract with President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, I promised to attract  6.75 million tourists. But it turned out to be  more than 7 million," Jero said.          He also stated  tourism in Indonesia during 2010 was hampered by several natural disasters like the Mt. Merapi eruptions in  October to November.          "I was worried when  14 airlines canceled their flights to Jakarta and Yogyakarta last November. But it did not last long because I met the managements of  the airlines," Jero said.          The normalization of  airline flights had a salutary effect on the target's achievement which was 9.3 percent up from 6.45 million in 2009 , said the minister.          The various natural disasters that have happened  killing hundreds of people -- such as the flash floods in West Papua's Wasior, Mount Merapi eruptions in Central Java and the earthquake and subsequent tsunami in West Sumatra's Mentawai Islands-- had raised concern that Indonesia would not be able to reach its target of attracting seven million foreign tourists  in 2010.          Yet, as the year is approaching its end, tourism officials are still upbeat that despite the ordeals  the country experienced  this year, the target of seven million foreign tourist arrivals can be achieved if arrivals in November and December remain  stable.          "Indonesia has had to face heavy odds  in its tourism sector this year due to the occurrence of a number of natural disasters. But we are still optimistic that the target of 7 million will be achieved," Marketing Director General of the Culture and Tourism Ministry Pasta Nirwandar said recently.          According to the Central Statistics Agency (BPS),  the number of tourist arrivals in Indonesia in the first nine months of 2010 rose 12.26 percent to 5.19 million from the same period last year.          In September 2010 alone, 560,367 foreign tourists visited Indonesia, up 13.48 percent from the same month last year, BPS chief Rusman Heriawan said recently.          But the figure represented a 4.46 percent decline compared to August 2010, he said.          "The decline in the number of tourist arrivals in September was particularly caused by seasonal factors because September is a low season," he said. Yet, if the first semester of this year is compared with that of last year, there have been positive developments.          The positive developments in the country's tourism are reflected in the foreign tourist arrivals in the first half of this year which have increased about 14 percent from that in the corresponding period a year earlier.          With the achievements in the first semester, the country's tourism officials are upbeat that Indonesia would be able to meet or even exceed its foreign tourist arrivals target of 7 million this year.          Therefore, Tourism officials are planning to raise Indonesia's foreign tourist arrivals target to 7.6 million next year.  They made the plan after seeing that in the first half of 2010, a total of 3.38 million had visited Indonesia, while in fact it was a low season during this period.      (T.A014/A/HAJM/21:00/a014) 31-12-2010 21:07