With its natural attractions, vibrant culture, and spiritual traditions, Indonesia offers a multifaceted experience to its visitors. For those seeking new adventures, away from mainstream destinations like Thailand or Singapore, Indonesia is the perfect getaway!
While tourism in Indonesia is soaring rapidly with increasing international arrivals yearly, it has not fully recovered its pre-pandemic numbers. The country is still lagging behind its Southeast-Asian counterparts like Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam with 26 million, 24 million, and 11.2 million international visitors in 2023.
The country set an unbeaten record of 16.11 million visitors during the pre-pandemic year 2019. Yet, Indonesia jumped back well in the game with 11.68 million international visitors in 2023 marking a 98.3% increase compared to the same period in 2022.
The Indonesian government and tourism department have implemented multiple policies and strategies to further enhance the authentic Indonesian experience for tourists as well as to increase the number of foreign visitors. As for 2024, the increasing tourist arrivals have remained consistent. In April 2024, the country welcomed 1.07 million tourists surpassing the pre-pandemic numbers during the same period.
Here’s how Indonesia plans to recover its tourism in the post-pandemic years:
Enhancing Infrastructure
Indonesia’s continuing efforts to improve its tourism infrastructure by increasing investments in roads, airports, hotels, and other hospitality agents have attracted tourists around the world. With the increased connectivity, better amenities, and enhanced health protocols, tourists are viewing the country as a suitable and reliable travel destination.
Promotional Strategies and Campaigns
Strong marketing and promotional activities by the Indonesian government have given the country recognition within the global tourism industry. Presenting Indonesia’s diverse culture, attractions, heritage, and natural wonders at global conferences and summits has proved to be beneficial for the tourism sector.
Indonesia Beyond Bali
The Indonesian government and tourism department are actively promoting varied and diverse islands of Indonesia within the global community. Indonesia is an archipelago that consists of more than 17,000 islands that mostly remain untapped by tourists.
Most of the tourism is mainly concentrated in Bali, or more recently, the Gili Islands. There’s a lot more to Indonesia including alluring landscapes, volcanic regions, beaches, and lush terrains along with vibrant culture and cuisine.
The government is encouraging international tourists to visit these off-beat attractions, opening them to cultural exploration beyond Bali.
Tourist-Friendly Visa Policies
The cultural immersion in Indonesia is neither beyond the reach, nor too demanding for international travelers. Indonesia offers an easy and hassle-free visa process to its tourists.
Following the trend of its counterparts – Thailand, Malaysia, and Singapore – the country has implemented visa relaxations while introducing new visa policies as a measure to boost tourism.
In December 2023, Indonesia introduced its long-term five-year visa policy that allowed a maximum of 60-day stays per entry for five years. The country is also planning on providing visa waivers to 20 potential countries including India to attract more tourists.
Source – Visa2fly
Tourism Funds
The Indonesian government is devising measures to establish tourism funds to support the country in developing and enhancing the tourism sector to lure tourists. These tourism funds will be allocated towards national and international events held in Indonesia, culture, and high-level summits so that the country can improve its international branding within the global arena.
In a press conference held by the Deputy Minister for Marketing of Indonesia, a 10 USD tourism tax was introduced for Bali.
The initiative worked on two levels – as a financial move, as well as a means of funding the conservation of the natural and cultural wonders of Bali. It is to ensure that the influx of tourists does not hamper the ecological balance of the region.
The prospects of Indonesian tourism seem highly promising as the government is focusing on sustainable tourism while diversifying the attractions. The 2024 tourist arrival trends look positive with enough potential for pre-pandemic recovery.
With effective strategies, easy visa policies, and sustainable practices, Indonesia has surely left its imprint on the global tourism stage, and the tourist arrivals are bound to flourish in this vibrant country in the years to come.
Also read about Bali, Indonesia Nightlife – click here.
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