Indonesia receives satisfying tour package orders from China: officials

JAKARTA, Dec. 19 (Xinhua) -- Indonesia has received significant tour package orders from potential Chinese tourists during its tourism promotion activities in three Chinese cities, officials at the Indonesian tourism ministry said here on Tuesday.

Assistant Deputy Minister for Asia Pacific Marketing Development Vinsensius Jemadu said that the recent consumer selling programs held from Dec. 8 to 11 in Chinese cities of Xiamen, Sanya and Fuzhou had attracted more than 1,800 Chinese visitors who booked for tour packages to Indonesia's Jakarta, Bali, Manado, Yogyakarta, Thousand Island and Lake Toba.

Deputy Minister for Foreign Market Development I Gde Pitana expected that the recent consumer selling events in China would further enhance arrivals of Chinese tourists to Indonesia.

He added that China now leads the arrivals of foreign tourists in Indonesia, making it an important tourism market to Indonesia.

Indonesia also used the promotion events to explain the current situation in Indonesia's resort island of Bali related to the ensuing volcanic activities in Bali's volcano of Mount Agung.

Pitana said that people's daily lives as well as tourism activities in Bali were not disrupted by the volcanic events, assuring that Bali is safe for tourists.

"For Chinese tourists, no need to be scared. The volcano's location is far from Bali's ultimate tourism spots like Kuta Beach, Seminyak and Ubud," he said in a statement.

Indonesian Tourism Minister Arief Yahya said the government continues to pay more attention to the comfort and safety of tourists in Bali. Enditem