Foreign Tourist Visits Increased 740.37 Percent Compared to Last Year

VIVA – According to the Statistics Agency Indonesia (BPS), the number of foreign tourist visits to Indonesia in March 2023 had reached 809.96 thousand or an increase of 15.39 percent as compared to the previous month. And this figure had increased by 740.37 percent compared to last year. 

Head of BPS Margo Yuwono said in March 2023 as many as 704.41 thousand foreign tourists who entered through the main door or increased 16.08 percent on a monthly basis (month to month).

Meanwhile, through the border entrance 105.55 thousand visits or an increase of 11.01 percent.

"Thus, if the total number of foreign tourist visits to Indonesia is 809.96 thousand visits or an increase of 15.39 percent on a monthly basis. And it grew very impressively compared to last year which grew 470.37 percent year on year," he said in a press conference on Tuesday.

However, Yuwono added that compared to before the pandemic, the number of foreign tourists entering Indonesia has not fully recovered.

Yuwono continued, cumulatively the number of foreign tourist visits in the first three months reached 41 percent. Meanwhile, when compared to the same period last year January-March 2023, it increased by 508.9 percent.

"The number of foreign tourist visits until March 2023 is still 40.2 percent lower than the same period in 2019 or before the pandemic," he informed.

As information, the foreign tourists who visit Indonesia the most are from Malaysia, Singapore, and Australia.

For Malaysia, the number of foreign tourist visits amounted to 124.6 thousand visits or a share of 15.4 percent.

"Compared to February, it decreased by 1.89 percent," he said.

While Singapore, foreign tourist visits amounted to 111.3 thousand visits or a share of 13.7 percent. This figure was recorded to have increased by 47.97 percent compared to February 2023, he added.

After that, Australia had 96.2 thousand foreign tourist visits or a share of 11.9 percent. This number also increased by 13.44 percent compared to February 2023.