REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- A survey by the National Development planning Board (Bappenas) showed that spending by foreign and domestic tourists during the last Asian Games in the country reached Rp3.7 trillion. The survey was done in cooperation with the Economic and Community Study Institute of the University of Indonesia (LPEM UI).
"Spending for souvenirs by the tourists was the largest," the Minister said at a Forum Merdeka Barat 9 here on Tuesday.
Around Rp655.4 billion of the foreign tourist spending of Rp1.9 trillion were for souvenir. Its was estimated there were 80,000 foreign tourists visiting the country during Asia's largest sport even here in August.
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Souvenir spending by domestic tourists was around Rp913.5 billion of their total spending of Rp1.8 trillion. Length of stay of foreign tourists averaged 13 days or almost the same as the duration of the Asian Games.
The domestic tourists from are outside the Greater Jakarta area stayed for three days on the average.
Chinese were the largest in number among the foreign tourists reaching 10,375, followed by Japanese 10,038, Koreans 7,443, and Malaysians 5,244 and Indians 5,001. Indian tourists stayed the longest averaging 17 days as against Chinese 16 days, Bambang said.
Tourists from the Netherlands were quite many although that country did not take part in the regional sport event, he said. He explained there were 2,341 Dutch tourists with a length of stay averaging 15 days.
"Perhaps they are Indonesian origins with Dutch nationality," he said.
A survey earlier said the Asian Games costs around US$3.2 billion including infrastructure at US$2.4 billion mainly the Light Rail Transit (LRT) in Palembang costing around US$676 million and the renovation of Gelora Bung Karno Stadium in Jakarta.
The LRT connects the Sultan Mahmud Badaruddin II International Airport and Jakabaring Stadium Complex and the renovation of Gelora Bung Karno Stadium in Jakarta.
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