"The 'DestinAsian Readers' Choice Awards are awards directly chosen by loyal readers of DestinAsian magazine and this is proof for the umpteenth time that Bali is a leading destination that tourists must visit," said Indonesian Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy, Sandiaga Uno in Jakarta on Sunday (17/3/2024) as reported by Antara.
DestinAsian is an international tourism magazine published for the first time since 2021 with distribution and circulation reaching Asia Pacific countries such as Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Australia, and others.
Sandiaga said Bali is one of the favorite tourist destinations in Indonesia. Based on his ministry's study, Bali has the aggregate capacity to contribute 50 percent of the target of 14.3 million foreign tourist visits to Indonesia.
Also read: Penglipuran Village in Bali Enters the List of Best Villages to Visit in 2024
"In aggregate (tourist visits) Bali contributes 50 percent (of the national target of foreign tourist visits). So around seven million," he said.
To accelerate the achievement, Minister Sandiaga will strive to increase accessibility to Bali. Some steps include increasing international flights and presenting unique and attractive tour packages without resulting in over-tourism, so that quality and sustainable tourism can be maintained in Bali.
Minister Uno hoped that the award can inspire other tourist destinations in Indonesia to improve themselves. He also hoped that Bali can become a feeder for Indonesia's five super priority tourism destinations: Borobudur in Central Java, Lake Toba in North Sumatra, Likupang in North Sulawesi, Mandalika in West Nusa Tenggara, and Labuan Bajo in East Nusa Tenggara.
"This is an achievement that we should be grateful for. We hope that other destinations will develop in Indonesia in the future besides Bali," he concluded. (Antara)
