JAKARTA (Xinhua): Indonesia's tourism authorities have said that the rupiah's depreciation against the US dollar could present an opportunity to bolster foreign arrivals, as the exchange rate enhances the country's affordability for international travelers.
Speaking at the Bali and Beyond Travel Fair in Badung on Saturday, Deputy Tourism Minister Ni Luh Puspa said that the current currency trend may incentivize overseas tourists to not only select Indonesia as their primary destination but also extend their stays.
In response, the ministry has been intensifying promotional campaigns to capitalize on this price competitiveness, the official said.
The rupiah has recently faced severe headwinds. According to Bank Indonesia's transaction exchange rates published on Friday, the dollar reached a staggering 17,877 rupiah.
For the record, Ni Luh said Indonesia aims to record 16-17 million foreign tourist arrivals as the archipelagic country wants to ramp up the so-called "experience-based tourism".
The latest target shows that Indonesia wants to beat pre-pandemic levels, during which the country managed to attract 16 million foreigners. Indonesia has been trying to recover its travel industry since Covid-19 hit the country in 2020. The full-year target for 2025 stands at 15.3 million foreign travelers.
According to Ni Luh, Indonesia's tourism policies will not only be centered on the tourist arrivals. However, the government will focus on what they call developing an experience-based tourism, while improving the safety standards.
"We are not only talking about the numbers. We want to focus on the quality of what the tourists experience when traveling in our country. Experience-based tourism is the key to our tourism development," Ni Luh said.
