TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indonesia`s Tourism Ministry is now focusing on promoting Indonesia`s tourism in five Gulf countries namely Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Qatar, and Oman.

Rita Sofia, an official from the Ministry, said that those five countries are considered to have potential tourists to visit Indonesia.

She added that tourism promotional events in those countries has actually been done but in 2011 it was halted due to the Ministry’s low budget, forcing it to select countries’ that have potential tourists.

"This year, we have begun again. Especially for Bahrain, businessmen consider that Bahrain has potentials and it is also close to Saudi Arabia and many Saudi Arabian citizens often spend their vacations in Bahrain", she said.

"Bahrain is now regarded as a liberal country so there are many expatriates, especially from Saudi Arabia, live there," Rita added.

Therefore, Rita added, if Indonesia holds tourism promotional events in in Bahrain, the Ministry can also promote Indonesia’s tourism to Arabs and expatriates from various countries.

Furthermore, Saudi Arabian tourists, she added, are considered generous as they can spend an average of US$2,300 per visit for one person, far higher than that spent by Malaysian tourists for example who only spend an average of around US$500 per visit for one person.

In the meantime, Indonesian Ambassador to Bahrain Nur Syahrir Rahardjo, said that although the number of Bahrain tourists visiting Indonesia is relatively small, the figure continues to increase.

In 2016, the number of tourists from Bahrain visiting Indonesia stood at 1,641 people and based on the data from the Indonesian Embassy in Manama, as of October 2017 the number of tourists from Bahrain visiting Indonesia reached 2,470 people.

ARIEF MUJAYATNO - ANTARA