Indonesia eyes 1.5 million Chinese tourists this year

"Last year, young people dominated the number of Chinese tourists, with around 65%. They take long stays of around 5 to 7 days, and prefer adventurous activities, nature and culture," said Wisnu Sindhutrisno, director of Regional Tourism Marketing from Indonesia's Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy, as cited by Antara News Agency.

The arrival of these tourists is expected to provide equitable distribution of tourism benefits in Indonesia, he added.

Last year, Indonesia welcomed over 700,000 Chinese tourists, lower than neighboring countries such as Thailand (3.5 million) and Vietnam (1.7 million).

Earlier, Indonesia also plans to offer visa exemption for Chinese tourists in a similar move to Thailand and Malaysia.

Currently there are 13 airlines that have opened direct flights from China to Indonesia.

Thailand eyes 8 million Chinese tourists this year after both countries agreed to waive visas for each other's citizens beginning in March.