NTourists at Wakatobi national park, one of the ten "new balis". (Source: blogspot.com)
Jakarta (VNA) – The Indonesian Ministry of Tourism announced that it will build ten destinations dubbed “new Balis” as a boost to the national tourism industry.
The destinations include Lake Toba (North Sumatra), Seribu Islands (Jakarta), Borobudur Temple (Central Java) and Mount Bromo (East Java).
Minister Arief Yahya said the term "new Bali" is an idiom conveying the expectation that these spots will soon become a tourist attraction as Bali Island.
The Bali Island attracts approximately four million visitors to Indonesia every year. The figure accounts for some 40 percent of the country’s total tourist arrivals.
However, each “new Bali” will be developed with distinct characteristics rather than being a version of the iconic island. Such diversity will make Indonesia rich in terms of the attractions, culture, and traditions.
The Indonesian Government expects to welcome 20 million tourists by 2019.
The tourism sector grew by 7.2 percent in 2015, well above the global average of 4.4 percent, according to the Central Statistics Agency.-VNA
