Ministry lays out strategies to attract 8m tourists

The Tourism and Creative Economy Ministry has set three tourism promotion strategies to attract 8 million foreign tourists in 2012, an official says Friday.
“We have set three new tourism promotion strategies for next year,” the ministry’s domestic promotion director Muhammad Faried was quoted by Antara news wire.
He said the three strategies were sales mission or direct selling; hosting national and international events; organizing festivals and cultural weeks in potential areas.
“We will ensure events held in the regions to have high values,” Faried said.
He added the ministry would also optimize special promotions to cater special segments through online promotions as well as optimizing tourism information centers at international airports in Indonesia.
“I’m sure these strategies can mobilize domestic tourists as well as attracting foreign tourists,” he said.
Faried said extra promotions were needed in 2012 as the target of attracting 8 million foreign tourists was set on the backdrop of global economic downturn which effects would only be felt next year.