Indonesia has brushed up its tourism facilities and policies in recent years to attract more visitors to the Southeast Asian archipelago of 13,000 islets.

The administration of President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo has streamlined immigration procedures that allow travelers to stay up to 30 days without a visa and knocked down clearance approval for foreign yachts, giving them easy entry through 18 ports.

In addition, the cabotage principles were abolished to provide international cruises with wider access to the country’s five harbors. 

Last year, more than 370,000 Koreans traveled to Indonesia out of 15 million who went abroad, making Koreans the sixth-largest national group visiting Indonesia. Some 500,000 Koreans are expected to have traveled there by the end of this year, according to the Indonesian Tourism Ministry, which held a press conference in Seoul last Tuesday.

“As Korean tourists prefer outdoor activities, they have flocked to Bali and Lombok on honeymoons, family trips and golf tours,” Indonesian embassy minister Cecep Herawan told journalists.

Tourism generates 5 percent of Indonesia’s gross domestic product, employing over 10 million people. To entice over 10 million tourists this year and 20 million by 2019, the government has upgraded infrastructures, hospitality services and promotional programs.

Korean golf lovers have increasingly visited the archipelago’s 140 golf courses, spectacularly nestled between beaches, mountains and townships, said Noviendi Makalam, the international marketing director at the tourism ministry. 

Bintan Resort Cakrawala group general manager Abdul Wahab said: “Most international travelers are familiar with Bali, but our Riau Islands could rival Bali in offering.”

Bintan Island, part of the Riau Islands Province in western Indonesia, was developed 20 years ago. Only an hour from Singapore by high-speed boat, travelers can get the best of Singapore’s cosmopolitan culture and Bintan’s tranquil nature in a package covering the neighboring island of Batam.

During weekdays, five ferry trips connect Singapore and Bintan, with 10 trips on weekends. Some 2 million people come to the Riau Islands from Singapore each year. Bintan also offers incentives for conferences and exhibition facilities.

“If you are planning a wedding, do it in Bintan,” Wahab highlighted, adding that visitors will get a once-in-a-lifetime experience on the picturesque island. 

























Wahab turned attention to the removed clearance approval for foreign yachts entering Indonesia, stressing that it would benefit the 700,000 expatriates in Singapore, including a large number of Koreans.

In Bintan, visitors can enjoy diving, snorkeling, scuba diving and jet skiing, as well as ride elephants, go hiking, take in the sights from a small aircraft, tour ancient sites and relax in spas.

Bintan has 15 hotels in operation and 20 under construction. Bintan Lagoon Resort has Ian-Baker Finch and Jack Nicklaus golf courses; Ria Bintan Club Med and Spa has 310 rooms and a 27-hole Gary Player golf course; and Laguna Bintan and Nirwana Gardens has hotels, spas, restaurants, villas and beach clubs. The Plaza Lagoi shopping center sells traditional handicrafts and food.

Visitors come to Bintan by sea, but an airport is currently being constructed to be operational by mid-2018, offering direct flights to Korea.

Indonesia has five international airports ― Soekarno-Hatta in Jakarta, Ngurah Rai in Bali, Kuala Namu in Medan, Juanda in Surabaya and Hang Nadim in Batam ― in addition to seaports across its string of islands.

By Joel Lee (joel@heraldcorp.com)