IDXChannel - Statistics Indonesia (BPS) reported that the number of international tourist arrivals in Indonesia in August this year had hit 1.34 million in total, or 2.23 percent higher than the figure recorded in the previous month.

In a statistics press conference in Jakarta on Tuesday, BPS Acting Head Amalia Adininggar Widyasanti noted that the figure reflected a growth of 18.30 percent in comparison to the count clocked in August last year.

"We have been witnessing an increase in international tourist visits since April 2024, after a decline reported in March 2024," she pointed out.

Widyasanti remarked that the recovery of Indonesia's tourism sector had become apparent from the cumulative number of foreign tourist arrivals reaching 9.09 million in the January-August period, thereby translating to a considerable increase of 20.83 as compared to the corresponding period of 2023.

"The total foreign tourist visit count until August 2024 is the highest ever recorded since 2020. However, if we compare it to that registered during the same period prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the figure is still regarded (to be) relatively low," she explained.

The official then specifically drew attention to August 2024, saying that Malaysian tourists contributed 14.09 percent to the monthly count, while tourists from Australia and China contributed 11.47 percent and 9.41 percent, respectively.

In comparison to the total arrivals in July 2024, the number of visits of African tourists in August reflected an increase of 25.09 percent, which is the highest among other groups, while that of tourists coming from fellow Southeast Asian countries stood second with a growth of 11.50 percent.

The count of travelers from Middle Eastern countries, in contrast, had declined by 39.77 percent, the deepest among other regions.

(Dian Kusumo Hapsari)