Having more than 17,000 small and large islands, Indonesia is known for its amazing natural beauty, which continues to attract tourists from throughout the world.

Endowed with lovely mountains covered by lush forests, waterfalls, unique wildlife, and white sandy beaches with breathtaking crystal clear turquoise water, the beauty of Indonesia is beyond words.

No wonder this archipelago country has become a dream holiday destination for tourists from all over the world, seeking to relax and unwind.

In addition to having multi-ethnic communities and different cultures that are friendly and welcoming, Indonesia also possesses a wide range of marine and natural attractions for tourists to enjoy.

Every year the government allocates significant amounts of funds to develop 60 to 80 tourism sites across the country, with seemingly little impact, as only Bali continues to stands out.

Therefore, the government of Indonesia has decided to emphasize the development and boosting of ten new tourist destinations, which is expected to increase the number of foreign tourist arrivals in the country. 

This being a consideration, the government, through the Ministry of Tourism under its "Wonderful Indonesia" program, is developing and promoting Lake Toba in North Sumatra, Tanjung Kelayang beach in Belitung island, Tanjung Lesung beach in Banten, Thousand Islands in Jakarta, Borobudur Temple in Central Java, Mounts Bromo and Semeru in East Java, Mandalika beach in West Nusa Tenggara, Wakatobi in Southeast Sulawesi, Labuan Bajo in East Nusa Tenggara, and Morotai Island in North Maluku.

These ten new tourist destinations are Indonesias main strengths, and have been classified into three sub-sections, including golf tourism, cruise tourism and diving tourism.

Following the development and promotion of these ten new tourist destinations, visitors can explore these must-see attractions, which offer high-quality amenities and memorable experiences.

These ten new destinations are expected to achieve these goals and generate significant traffic and revenue growth for local communities.

To develop these exceptional tourist destinations, local communities, the tourism businesses and organizations within them need to work together, build on existing infrastructure, and strengthen their competitive advantages.

Even the Coordinating Ministry for Maritime Affairs is focusing on the development of these ten new tourist destinations to boost foreign tourist arrivals.

It is the intention of Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs Rizal Ramli that by focusing on the development of these ten new tourist destinations, the government can concentrate on allocating funds to build access roads, infrastructure, and marine infrastructure.

Developing new tourist destinations and tourist attractions is an inseparable chain in the hotel and restaurant business and, therefore, the Indonesia Hotels and Restaurants Association (PHRI) is also committed to supporting this development.

In light of this, the government is expected to bring together all tourism programs using intensive activities with tourism attractions, summarized in a calendar of events.

The calendar of events is very important to attract both foreign and domestic tourists to travel to all parts of Indonesia, as long as tourism promotions have a positive impact and remain on target.

All ten new tourist destinations are being promoted in South Korea, as the governments target is to attract more than 400,000 tourists from South Korea in 2016. 

This number reflects an 11 percent increase over last years target of 360,000 tourists.

For the people of South Korea, Bali is a popular tourist site, but the Ministry of Tourism is promoting these new tourist destinations among prospective visitors from abroad, under a program called Beyond Bali, in a bid to introduce these areas and also showcase traditional dances.

In terms of culture and tourism, most South Korean citizens do not understand the potential of Indonesia, and so, the Ministry of Tourism, through various programs, continues to make efforts to promote tourist destinations other than Bali among South Koreans.

Support for the development and promotion of the 10 new tourist destinations in Indonesia also comes from Citilink airline, through a tourism package cooperative agreement with the Association of Indonesian Hotels and Restaurants.

Citilink President and CEO Albert Burhan has said the airline would support the development and promotion of the 10 new tourist destinations, as long as it is also supported by adequate infrastructure, because the airports at some destinations have not been able to accommodate wide-bodied aircraft, such as some Airbus jetliners.

The tourism sector is one of the main pillars of the local economy, and by 2019 it is expected to create 13 million jobs, attract 20 million foreign tourists and 275 million domestic tourists, and to raise Indonesias world tourism competitiveness index to the 30th rank.

Also, by 2019 the tourism sector is expected to contribute eight percent to the national Gross Domestic Product (GDP), with foreign exchange amounting to Rp240 trillion.

While in 2016 the tourism sector is expected to attract 12 million foreign tourists, earning foreign exchange amounting to Rp172 trillion and ensuring 260 million domestic tourist trips that will collectively spend Rp223.6 trillion.

The contribution of tourism to the national GDP in 2016 is expected to increase by 5 percent, while creating 11.7 million jobs.(*)  

Source: ANTARA