Southeast Asia's largest economy welcomes 6.4 million foreign tourists in H1

By Hoang Phong August 2, 2024 | 12:26 am PT

A police officer talks with tourists in front of the Bali Bomb Monument in Indonesia in 2016. Photo by Reuters

Indonesia, the largest economy in Southeast Asia, welcomed 6.4 million foreign tourists from January to June, marking a 21% increase compared to the same period last year but this number is only one-third of the tourists received by Thailand.

"This is the highest number of international visitors that Indonesia has recorded in the first half of the year since 2020," stated Amalia Adininggar Widyasanti, the acting head of the Central Statistics Agency, as quoted by Antara News Agency.

In June alone, Indonesia saw 1.2 million foreign tourists, primarily from Malaysia, Singapore, and Australia. The country aims to attract 17 million foreign visitors this year after receiving 11.7 million last year.

Despite the increase, Indonesia's foreign tourist arrivals were lower than those of some neighboring Southeast Asian countries.

Thailand welcomed 17.5 million foreign tourists in the first half of the year, while Vietnam recorded 8.8 million, and Singapore had 8.24 million.

Indonesia plans to grant visa-free entry to 20 countries, including Australia, China, and India, by October, according to the Jakarta Globe.