A dynamic and vibrant country with a combination of ancient and modern wonder, Indonesia is well known around the world for its rich natural, cultural and tourism resources. In 2015, the country welcomed 10.4 million foreign tourists, according to Indonesia's Central Bureau of Statistics' official website.
For most Chinese tourists, the first thing that might come to mind when thinking about Indonesia is Bali, the beautiful island located in South Indonesia. But they would definitely be surprised and amused if they spent more time traveling around the whole country, said Igde Pitana, the deputy minister of Indonesia's Ministry of Tourism.
"Bali is only 0.29 percent of Indonesia, only one of more than 17,000 islands of Indonesia," he said. "Of course, Bali is very beautiful and unique, but other parts of Indonesia also have their uniqueness."
In September, the Global Times went to Indonesia during the Forum for East Asia - Latin America Cooperation (FEALAC) and sat down with Pitana to discuss the tourism value of the country.
More open to the world
Pitana said that more than 40 percent of foreign tourists arrive in Bali, and the Indonesian government wants to distribute these numbers to other lesser-known regions of the country.
"Indonesia is very large, so we try to focus and develop step by step. From 2014 to 2019, we have a program titled New Bali Beyond Bali to develop another 10 new tourist destinations," he said.
The 10 selected destinations are: Lake Toba (a large natural lake occupying the caldera of a super volcano in the middle of the northern part of Sumatra Island); Tanjung Kelayang (a beautiful beach on Belitung Island); Mandalika (a newly built holiday resort in the southern part of Lombok Island); Wakatobi (a luxury diving resort in southeastern Sulawesi Island); Morotai Island (a rugged and forested island famous for its natural landscape), Tanjung Lesung (an unspoiled and serene peninsula with some of the most beautiful beaches the island of Java); Kepulauan Seribu (a marine national park in West Java); Borobudur (a Buddhist stupa and temple complex in Central Java); the Bromo-Tengger-Semeru National Park in East Java and Labuan Bajo, the home of the famous Komodo dragons.
The government wants to increase tourist arrivals to over 20 million by 2019. Tourism is one of eight priority sectors highlighted by Indonesian President Joko Widodo.
Pitana shared his own experience of exploring new tourism destinations during a trip to Raja Ampat, an archipelago west of New Guinea Island.
"I am not a diver, and I don't even know how to swim, but when I visited Raja Ampat, I could not help myself. I started to learn snorkeling," Pitana said. "After 50 minutes, I didn't want to get up, and then I snorkeled more than three hours. I could see the beauty of the coral reef, and it's so nice."
Raja Ampat is home to about 75 percent of the existing coral species in the world and more than 1,300 kinds of fishes. It is not only a paradise for divers, but also for bird-watchers who can see the Cendrawasih, Wilson's bird-of-paradise, and different cockatoos and eagles.
A combination of history and modernity
The Indonesian government has initiatives to open up destinations for international tourists near the area close to Jakarta to help the capital develop more, according to Pitana.
"Jakarta is the central city of Indonesia. It's the center of our government. That is why we are trying to attract more business tourists to Jakarta [along with] tourists to Bali and shopping tourists to Bandung and so on," Pitana said.
Jakarta is a sprawling metropolis. It is home to more than 10 million people and is in many ways the beating heart of Indonesia, a place where Indonesia's many ethnic groups converge and pursue their dreams.
A melting pot of diverse culture and tradition, with a long history dating back to colonial times when it was still called Batavia, Jakarta is also known for its rich heritage born from centuries of interaction between the indigenous Betawinese, Sundanese, and Javanese, and the Chinese, Indian, Arab and Dutch people. For the Indonesian people, the capital plays a key role in the country's future tourism development plan.
