JAKARTA (TheInsiderStories) – Indonesia Statistic report, the number of tourists to Indonesia in January 2019 reached 1.16 million visits, an increase of 5.22 percent compared to January 2018, which amounted to 1.10 million visits.

However, when compared to December 2018 which is the peak season period, the number of visits in January 2019 decreased by 17.60 percent. In December 2018, the number of visits to Indonesia was 1.40 million visits.

“This decline is due to seasonal patterns. In December it has gone up, so usually in January it falls,” said deputy of distribution and services statistics Yunita Rusanti at a press conference in Jakarta, on Friday (03/01).

This number consists of tourists who visit through the air entrance as many as 743.95 thousand visits, sea 223.53 thousand visits, land as much as 190.68 thousand visits. The air entrance in January 2019 increased by 15.23 percent compared to the number of the same month the previous year.

The increase occurred at eight air entrances with the highest percentage recorded at Ngurah Rai Airport, Bali which reached 31.06 percent, followed by Sam Ratulangi Airport, North Sulawesi 27.74 percent and Minangkabau Airport, Sumetara Barat 24.83 percent. While the lowest increase occurred at Sultan Syarif Kasim II Airport, Riau by 0.90 percent.

Meanwhile, the decline occurred at seven air entrances with the highest percentage decline at Lombok International Airport, West Nusa Tenggara at 62.02 percent and at Husein Sastranegara Airport, West Java by 0.01 percent.

When compared to December 2018, the number visiting Indonesia through air entrances in January 2019 decreased by 9.89 percent. This occurred in most of the air entrances with the largest percentage reduction occurring at Sultan Badarudin II Airport, South Sumatra, which amounted to 43.33 percent, and the smallest decrease at Soekarno-Hatta Airport, Jakarta which was 7.35 percent.

Meanwhile, the increase was recorded in the two main entrances, at Sam Ratulangi Airport, North Sulawesi at 22.83 percent and Sultan Iskandar Muda Airport, Aceh 10.04 percent.

The number of visits by sea in January 2019 increased 1.40 percent to 223.534 thousand visits, compared to January 2018 as many as 220.45 thousand visits. The highest percentage recorded at Tanjung Uban Port, Riau Islands at 49.96 percent, while the highest reduction in Tanjung Emas Port, Central Java at 18.51 percent.

Meanwhile, when compared to December 2018, the number of visits by sea fell by 39.69 percent, with the highest percentage in Tanjung Pinang Port, Riau Islands by 47.97 percent. The increase only occurred in Tanjung Benoa Port, Bali, at 19.98 percent.

In addition, visits by land in January 2019 decreased by 18.73 percent compared to the same month the previous year, from 234.62 to 190.68 thousand visits.

The decline occurred in two entrances, namely Jayapura Papua and Entikong West Kalimantan, respectively 64.97 percent and 8.36 percent. Only Nanga Badau West Kalimantan, increased by 79.31 percent.

Of the 1.16 million visits, Chinese tourists had the highest percentage increase compared to January 2018, which was 73.01 percent, while the highest decline was from Papua New Guinea, which amounted to 55.11 percent.

While according to nationality, China recorded 176.3 thousand visits (15.23 percent), Malaysia 159.71 thousand (13.79 percent), Timor Leste 142.31 thousand (12.29 percent), Singapore 118.81 thousand ( 10.26 percent), and Australia 106.87 thousand (9.23 percent).

Not only that, the hotel occupancy rate of star classification in January 2019 reached an average of 52.28 percent, up 0.37 points compared to January 2018 which was 51.91 percent.

Meanwhile, compared to the December 2018 occupancy rate, January 2019 decreased by 7.62 points. The average length of stay of foreign guests in the star classification during January 2019 was 2.02 days, an increase of 0.08 points compared to the situation in January 2018.

The hotel star occupancy rate in January 2019 averaged 52.28 percent, up 0.37 points compared to January 2018 which was 51.91 percent. While, if compared to December 2018 which recorded 59.75 percent, the occupancy rate in January 2019 fell by 7.47 points.

The highest occupancy rate was recorded in Jakarta at 70.02 percent, then North Sulawesi at 68.56 percent, and South Sumatra at 59.45 percent. While the lowest was recorded in Maluku which amounted to 23.77 percent.

The increase in hotel occupancy rates for star classification in January 2019 compared to January 2018 was recorded in some provinces, the highest in North Kalimantan at 27.12 points, followed by Southeast Sulawesi at 13.92 points, and North Sulawesi at 8.32 points. While the lowest increase was recorded in East Java at 0.11 points.

The biggest decline occurred in Bengkulu at 15.50 points, while the smallest decline in West Sumatra was 1.18 points. When compared to the December 2018 occupancy rate, there was a decline in most provinces, the highest in West Sulawesi at 29.59 points, followed by Bengkulu with 29.57 points, and Gorontalo with 28.59 points. The lowest decline was recorded in North Sumatra, which was 0.20 points.

While the average length of stay of guests at star-rated hotels reached 2.05 days during January 2019, an increase of 0.03 points compared to January 2018. Similarly, compared to December 2018, the average length of stay in January 2019 increased by 0 , 30 points.

In general, the average length of stay in January 2019 is higher than December 2018 of 3.29 days and 1.83 days, respectively. If detailed by province, Bali recorded the highest at 3.73 days, North Kalimantan 3.47 days, and South Sumatra at 3.46 days.

Meanwhile, Tourism Minister Arief Yahya said that efforts to increase tourists’ visits to Indonesia this year targeted at 20 million people were carried out by implementing a super extra ordinary strategy as the ultimate strategy, namely the Border Tourism, Tourism Hub and Low Cost Terminal.

“We must deal with border tourism because it is an effective way to bring in foreign tourists from neighboring countries,” said the minister.

He explained that this would be effective because foreign tourists from neighboring countries have a geographical proximity factor so that tourists are easier, faster and cheaper to reach destinations in Indonesia.

In addition, implementing a tourism hub program is a strategy like attracting foreign tourists who are already in regional hubs such as Singapore and Kuala Lumpur to be withdrawn to continue on vacation to Indonesia.

According to Yahya, it must be admitted that one of the complicated problems of Indonesian tourism is the lack of direct flight facilities from origination. He added, direct flights such as from Chinese origination reached 50 percent, meaning that the remaining 50 percent were still transiting from Singapore, Kuala Lumpur or Hong Kong.

While neighboring countries such as Thailand or Malaysia direct flight have reached 80 percent. Otherwise, Yahya added, the Low Cost Carrier Terminal program is also expected to have a positive impact.

Source: https://theinsiderstories.com/indonesian-tourism-january-2019-increase-5-22-percent/