Indonesia invites Saudi travelers to explore tourism destinations beyond Bali

  • Date: 26-May-2023
  • Source: Arab News
  • Sector:Tourism
  • Country:Saudi Arabia
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Indonesia invites Saudi travelers to explore tourism destinations beyond Bali

JAKARTA: Indonesia wants to attract Saudi travelers with its natural and cultural wonders beyond the holiday island of Bali, the Asian nation’s tourism minister has told Arab News, as the country’s post-pandemic strategy is focused on quality and sustainability.

Indonesia is targeting to welcome 8.5 million foreign visitors in 2023 as it is rebounding from the COVID-19 lull that brought its key forex-generating hospitality sector to a standstill.

While the figure is still about a half of the arrivals recorded in 2019 — right before the coronavirus outbreak — the country’s tourism is oriented toward long-term visits and travelers who contribute more to the local economy.

“We are focusing on quality and sustainable post-pandemic tourism, where we expect tourists to stay longer and have much bigger spending,” Tourism and Creative Economy Minister Sandiaga Uno said in an interview with Arab News on Thursday.

The Tourism Ministry’s data shows these goals match the travel patterns of visitors from Saudi Arabia.

“We’re seeing travelers from Middle East regions focusing more on personalized, customized, localized (travel),” Uno said, adding that they also look for “hidden gems in new destinations.”

Most tourists, also from Arab countries, opt for the world-famous Bali.

In 2019, out of the 16.1 million who came to