REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- Minister of Tourism Arief Yahya has said Indonesia should improve its inter-island connectivity to boost the marine tourism sector.

Marine tourism has contributed only 10 percent of total devisa, or foreign exchange, to Indonesia's tourism sector, Yahya said. He was speaking at a seminar organized by the ministry and Tourism Journalist Forum in the Sapta Pesona building on Wednesday.

"Indonesian coastline stretches 100 thousand kilometers, but its marine tourism earns only US$1 billion," the minister remarked.

Yahya then compared the figure with that of Australia, which only has 2 thousand kilometers of coastline and yet managed to yield US$300 billion from marine tourism.

"In fact, Malaysia's marine tourism contributed 40 percent (to its total tourism devisa)," he added.

Therefore, he stressed, Indonesia should optimize its marine tourism management to lure more tourists and increase income.

The minister pointed out that Indonesia should strive to promote tourism so it can attract 20 million foreign tourists in 2019 and achieve an annual growth of 12 percent.

International tourist arrivals in Indonesia remained high. Based on a report by the Central Bureau of Statistics, 9,435,411 tourists visited Indonesia from January to December 2014, marking an increase of 7.19 percent from 2013.

In 2015, Indonesia expects to attract 12 million foreign tourists by focusing on three main aspects: nature, culture, and integrated tourism.

Meanwhile, at the same event, Head of Tourism Journalist Forum Tri Wibowo pointed out accessibility as the main key to improve Indonesian tourism. He expressed hope that international tourists will not focus on Bali alone but will also find other regions in the country as easy to access.

The media also can play an important role by disseminating information and promoting Indonesia's tourism destinations among societies, Wibowo added.

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