In an immediate follow up action to the MOU on Tourism Cooperation that was recently signed between the governments of China and Indonesia on Oct 2, 2013, Indonesia's Minister for Tourism and Creative Economy Mari Elka Pangestu launches the strategic action plan during her visit to China on Nov 11 to 14.

Indonesia’s Minister for Tourism and Creative Economy Mari Elka Pangestu (center), Deputy Chief of Mission of Indonesian embassy?in China Wisnu Edi Pratignyo (left), and Wang Yan (right), deputy director of Department of Tourism Promotion and International Liaison at China National Tourism Administration, attend a press conference by Indonesian Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy in Beijing on Nov 11, 2013. At the press conference, Minister Mari Pangestu launches the Indonesian website in the Mandarin language on tourism, which offers comprehensive travel information about Indonesia to Chinese tourists. [Photo by Huang Shuo / chinadaily.com.cn]

"In 2014, the Action Plan includes familiarization trips to Indonesia for travel agents from China, more campaigns on new media platforms like Weibo or WeChat. The year will culminate with a roadshow to 6 cities in China between August and September," said Mari Elka Pangestu, minister for Tourism and Creative Economy of Indonesia, in Beijing on Nov 11.

The scope of the MOU includes improving travel facilitation, stepping up communication and increasing travel by Chinese citizens to the Republic of Indonesia; developing and sharing tourism content, information and statistics between China and Indonesia, and holding more joint promotions on each other's marketing platforms including on each other's websites, as well as promoting tourism investments.

Tourism from China to Indonesia has grown in the past years. In 2012, some 618,223 tourists from China visited Indonesia, a surge of 22.5 percent from 514,749 in 2011. While between January and September this year, the number of Chinese tourists visiting Indonesia reached 575,204 or a growth rate of 24.6 percent.

China has now become the fourth top tourist market for Indonesia after Singapore, Malaysia and Australia.

Meanwhile, air connections have also improved greatly. Garuda Indonesia flies daily from Guangzhou and Shanghai to Jakarta, with 6 flights weekly from Beijing to Jakarta.

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