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Indonesia and Singapore Resolve to Cooperate to Promote Tourism

• 04 Juli 2016
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Denpasar, Baliterkini.com - Indonesian Tourism Minister Arief Yahya says cooperation in tourism promotion by Singapore and Indonesia is mutually beneficial given Singapore’s role as an international transit hub.

As reported by the State News Agency Antara, Yahya went on to say that the National Government has designated Jakarta to serve as the business center in order to secure investment in infrastructure projects across Indonesia, while Bali has been selected to act as a tourism hub for travel beyond Bali.

The Tourism Minister added: “Indonesia benefits from the large amount of traffic to Singapore. I have therefore decided to work closely with Singapore in tourism.”

In response, Singapore Minister of Industry and Trade, Lim Hng Kiang, declared tourism is the sector that can serve as an example of mutually benefit cooperation between Indonesia and Singapore capable of creating a “multiplier effect” beneficial to the economic development of both nations
Singapore hopes to sign a Memorandum of Understanding with Indonesia on tourism covering cooperation on cruise ship tourism in August 2016.

Singapore views the decision by the Government of Indonesia to provide visa-free visits to the citizens of 169 countries as a policy that will increase tourism visits to Indonesia via Singapore.

Indonesian Tourism Minister Yahya expressed his wish that the 15 million foreign tourists that visit Singapore each year can be encouraged to extend their holidays and visit the nearby Riau islands of Indonesia. Yahya said that 90% of the international tourists who visit the Riau islands arrive via Singapore. [BTcom / balidiscovery.com]