JAKARTA, Feb. 14 (Xinhua) -- Indonesia sent missions to take part in the upcoming travel fairs held respectively in Thailand, Singapore and Australia to maximize visitors from regional market, said the Tourism Ministry on Tuesday.
In Thai International Travel Fair (TITF) slated for Wednesday to Sunday in Bangkok, the mission plans to attract Thai holidaymakers by promoting marine tour, including water sports and diving, and religious tour for Buddhist followers as Indonesia has many historical Buddhist temples with the world's largest one is the Borobudur in Central Java province.
"It would be a very important momentum to grab lucrative market in Thailand. TITF is a huge and potential travel market in the region," Deputy Minister for Foreign Marketing at the Tourism Ministry I Gde Pitana said in a statement released in Tuesday.
According to tour statistic data released by the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), visitors vacationing in Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries were mostly contributed by ASEAN countries themselves. Their contribution may account up to 50 percent to each of ASEAN nations' foreign visitor records.
Pitana's assistant for Southeast Asian market Rizki Handayani said the ministry has set target to get at least 45 percent of its foreign visitors from ASEAN countries this year.
Meanwhile, the ministry will also send a mission to Singapore's 2017 Natas Travel Fair scheduled from Friday to Sunday this week.
The mission will highlight Indonesia's traditional batik which has been recognized as UNESCO's intangible heritage since October 2009, Sulawesi Phinisi traditional vessel miniature and prominent diving sites across the nation.
Besides in ASEAN nations, the ministry would also send missions in Australia's landmark culinary festivals to promote best of Indonesian cuisines.
Indonesia expects to welcome 15 million foreign visitors this year and 20 million in 2019.
