Jakarta
(ANTARA News) - Tourism cooperation between Indonesia and Singapore is mutually
beneficial as Singapore is an international transit center for many tourists
visiting Indonesia, Tourism Minister Arief Yahya.
The
government policy of giving visa free travel for visitors from 169 countries
would also benefit Singapore with more tourists transiting in that country and
Singapore serves as an international transit center for tourist to Riau, Arief
cited.
"Indonesia
gains from the big traffics in Singapore, therefore, I have decided to
cooperate more closely with Singapore in attracting more tourists," he
said.
He said
Singapore Industry and Trade Minister Lim Hng Kiang said that tourism could
serve as an example for mutually beneficial cooperation between the two neighboring
countries.
The
cooperation in the tourism sector would give "multiplier effect" on
economic development of the two countries, Lim added.
Singapore
hopes that memorandum of under standing on tourism cooperation and on
development of tourist boats could be signed in August.
Arief
said 15 million foreign tourists visit Singapore every year and Singapore also
send the tourist to Riau Islands to enjoy the natural beauty of the island
province.
"That
is where we gain from. We are fishing in a fish pond," he said.
He said
90 percent of foreign visitors to Riau Islands came via Singapore.
He said
the the Indonesian Tourism Ministry has been often offered to open a platform
freely at the Singapore International Airport to advertise Indonesian tourism objects.
"This
is what I mean with strategic cooperation, complementary," he said.
Indonesia
is also bound by the ASEANTA (ASEAN Tourism Association) agreement on joint
tourism packages as a destination for all ASEAN countries.
"Cooperation
with Singapore, which has higher index of competitiveness, the 11th in the
world, would greatly promote the Indonesian popularity which is only the 50th
in the world. Therefore, we gain and Singapore also gains," the minister
said.
It is
important that the tourism industry of Indonesia enhances its contribution
towards the countrys gross domestic product (GDP) because it will trigger more
foreign exchange earnings.
Each
foreign visitor spends between US$$1,100 and US$1,200 per visit on average,
while also providing employment opportunities to the Indonesian people. It is
estimated that nearly nine percent of Indonesias total national workforce is
employed in the tourism sector.
Currently,
Indonesias tourism sector accounts for approximately four percent of the total
economy. By 2019, the Indonesian government wants to have doubled this figure
to 8 percent of GDP, an ambitious target which implies that within the next
four years, the number of visitors needs to double to about 20 million.
In order
to achieve this target, the government will focus on improving Indonesia's
infrastructure (including ICT infrastructure), accessibility, health &
hygiene as well as enhancing online promotional (marketing) campaigns abroad.
The
government has also revised its visa-free access policy.
(Tz.H-ASG/F001)
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