Indonesia looks to tap into the Chinese travel market

Bali is an island and a province of Indonesia, which is located at the westernmost end of the Lesser Sunda Islands. [Photo/Xinhua]

Indonesia has set a goal of attracting 2 million Chinese travelers in 2015, said a senior official of Indonesia.

"We will reach the goal of 2 million Chinese visitors by the end of 2015. China is a huge market and we are optimistic about it," said Indonesia's Minister of Tourism Arief Yahya during his visit to Beijing on Jan 12.

New flight routes are likely to help the hoped-for surge. Garuda Indonesia, the country's flagship airline, launched on Jan 13, its first direct flight from Beijing to Bali, the country's most popular tourist destination. "We are planning to have more direct flights from China to Bali, including Shanghai and Guangzhou, in the future," said Arif Wibowo, CEO of Garuda Indonesia.

"In 2015, we plan to launch a series of tourism campaigns to bolster the growth, including relaxation on the visa policy."

Indonesia announced last November the exemption of visa requirements for nationals of China, Australia, Japan, South Korea and Russia starting in January. "We are working on that part with Chinese government," added Yahya.

China has been Indonesia's fourth largest overseas market, only after Singapore, Malaysia and Australia. Between January 2014 and November 2014, Indonesia welcomed 883,752 Chinese visitors.