Chinese Tourists Still Dominate Visits to Indonesia

The Central Statistics Agency (BPS) recorded 1.16 million foreign tourist arrivals in Indonesia throughout May 2017, a 26.66 percent increase compared to the same period the previous year, which saw 915,000 arrivals. However, compared to the previous month, the increase was only 1.49 percent.

Chinese tourists still dominated visits to Indonesia, accounting for 13.19 percent, followed by Singapore (9.83 percent), Malaysia (9.62 percent), Australia (7.91 percent), and India (4.19 percent). Meanwhile, the average length of stay for foreign and Indonesian tourists at star-rated hotels in Indonesia during May 2017 was recorded at 1.99 days, a 0.1-point increase compared to May 2016.

BPS Head Suhariyanto stated that the increase in Chinese tourists was particularly noticeable in Bali and Manado. One of the contributing factors is the rapid economic growth in China, resulting in increased per capita income. Consequently, many Chinese citizens are spending their time traveling to Indonesia.