Indonesia tourist arrivals miss 2008 target

Overseas tourist arrivals in Indonesia rose 13.2 percent to 6.23 million in 2008, data showed on Monday, although fell short of a government target of 7 million as the global economic crisis curbed foreign trips.

Tourist arrivals in December last year rose 17.7 percent from a year ago to 610,452, up from 518,700 in the same month a year earlier, the statistics bureau said.

Ben Sukma, the chairman of the Indonesian Travel Agents Association, said the financial crisis had cooled tourism last year and said achieving the same target this year of 7 million tourist may depend on how smoothly parliamentary and presidential elections run.

"If the elections run smoothly, then I think 7 million visitors next year can be met," said Sukma, adding that the government should target promotions in countries such as Malaysia, Singapore and China.

Culture and tourism minister Jero Wacik has previously said the government expected a similar range of foreign visitor arrivals in the next year, despite the global economic slowdown.

Carla Parengkuan, executive director of the Indonesian Hotels Association, said the sharper rise in December may have been due to holiday-makers switching to Indonesia after security concerns in Thailand and India.