REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- Indonesia has been declared as having the ninth-fastest growing tourism sector in the world and the third in Asia. Indonesia also declared as the fastest-growing tourism in Southeast Asia.

"Indonesia is a country with the ninth-fastest growing tourism in the world, the third in Asia, and the fastest in ASEAN," Tourism Minister Arief Yahya remarked, while highlighting the achievements of the Joko Widodo administration in the past four years at the State Secretariat here, on Tuesday.

He cited a report of the UK's media The Telegraph that put Indonesia among 20 countries with fastest growing tourism sector.

"They consider Indonesia's tourism growth to be four times higher compared to the regional and global growth. The data have proven the claim," Yahya stated.

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Indonesia's tourism growth during the past few years has reached 25.68 percent compared to ASEAN, which recorded a seven percent growth and world's growth at six percent.

According to the World Economy Forum (WEF), the country's Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Index has shown significant growth, with an increase of 8 points in world ranking from 50 in 2015 to 42 in 2017.

Yahya noted that the tourism sector grew 22 percent in 2017, the second fastest after Vietnam, which recorded a 29 percent of growth, but higher than the 6.4 percent average growth of global tourism and 7 percent average growth in the ASEAN tourist industry.

"Vietnamese tourism grew faster as they made a lot of deregulations, while Malaysia grew by four percent, and so with Thailand," he continued.

Tourism sector has contributed US$15 billion to the state revenue in 2017, higher than the contribution of $12.2 billion in 2015 and $13.6 billion in 2016. In 2018, the sector is targeted to get $17 billion of foreign exchange and $20 billion in 2020.

Meanwhile, foreign tourist visits to the country has increased significantly, from 9.7 million in 2015 to 11.5 million and 14 million in 2016 and 2017, respectively. As of August, the number of foreign tourists visiting the country had reached 10.58 million of the total target of 17 million.

"Domestic tourists have also continued to increase. It has reached 255 million in 2015, 264 million in 2016, and 271 million in 2017," the minister remarked.

The ministry has committed to become the top contributor to the state revenue, with projection of $20 billion of revenue from the sector in 2019.

Indonesia's rank in Tourism Index, according to the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), has increased consistently, from rank 70 in 2013 to rank 50 in 2015 and 42 in 2017.

Indonesia's tourism sector has achieved 46 awards in 22 countries in 2016, 27 awards in 13 countries in 2017, and 31 awards in nine countries as of the third quarter of 2018, Yahya disclosed.

Present at the occasion were Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Darmin Nasution, Trade Minister Enggartiasto Lukita, Communication and Informatics Minister Rudiantara, Public Works and Housing Minister Basuki Hadimuljono, Marine Affairs and Fisheries Minister Susi Pudjiastuti, Finance Minister Sri Mulyani, and Industry Minister Airlangga Hartarto.

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