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Asia Minute: Indonesia Banking on Tourism

Mariamichelle / Pixabay
Mariamichelle / Pixabay

Tourism is not only Hawai‘i’s top economic sector, it’s a growing business in many parts of the world. And that includes Indonesia—which has great ambitions and is getting some help from the World Bank. HPR’s Bill Dorman has more in today’s Asia Minute.

 

Indonesia’s President Joko Widodo has grand plans for tourism.

He wants the travel and tourism business to make up 20 percent of the country’s economy by 2019—which would be five times what it was in 2014.

The World Bank is working with Indonesia to draw private investment while also developing what the bank calls “an environmental framework” to protect natural resources.

On Monday, Australia’s ambassador to Indonesia said his country will also help plan three new areas as tourism hotspots—similar to what Bali has become in terms of drawing international travelers.

Last month, Indonesian tourism officials held a “golf summit” outside Tokyo—part of an effort to attract more Japanese visitors.

Next year, Indonesia hosts a pair of events that should increase the international visitor count.

The Asian games take place in Jakarta and elsewhere. And in October, Bali will host the annual meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank.

The economics of tourism are likely to at least get a mention at the meeting.

According to the World Travel and Tourism Council, the tourism sector has grown faster than the overall global economy for the past six years in a row.

Bill Dorman has been the news director at Hawaiʻi Public Radio since 2011.
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