Indonesian Tourism to Focus on Emerging Markets in 2012

Indonesia's tourism sector will focus on emerging markets in 2012 as they are relatively resistant to global financial crisis, a minister said this Thursday.

"In 2012, we target markets that are not (relatively) affected by crisis," said Mari Elka Pangestu, Minister for Tourism and Creative Economy.

However, she said, even though crisis hit European countries and the US, their nationals keep coming to Indonesia for holidays. "They keep coming even though the figures are not too big," said Pangestu.

She said during 2011, tourists from Britain consist of 2.8 percent of total coming to Indonesia, the Netherlands 2.3 percent, Germany 1.5 percent and France 7.55 percent.

"We still can't provide figures from the United States. But, I think, the figures are not big," she said.

She also said thar growth of Asian markets is stable in 2011. "Singaporean tourists consists of 11.4 percent of total foreigners, Australia 22.9 percent, China 15.9 percent, India 14.8 percent and the Philippines 20.8 percent," she said.