Tanah Lot Temple in Bali island (Photo: lonelyplanet.com)
Jakarta (VNA)ও – Indonesia has set an ambitious target to attract 12 million foreign visits in 2016, mostly from Australia, China, Japan, Malaysia and Singapore.
According to Hari Utoro Dradjat, expert from the Indonesian Ministry of Tourism, the country is set to welcome 1.7 million visitors from China in 2016 and two million in 2019.
The announcement came at a ceremony to welcome about 400 Chinese holiday-makers to the Lunar New Year Festival in Bali island -a popular tourist destination in Indonesia. The island greeted over 1,000 vacationers from China during Lunar New Year holiday season.
Last year, 1.14 million Chinese people travelled to the resort island, hiking 19 percent from the previous year. Bali island welcomed more than 4 million international visitors in 2015, increasing 6 percent from 2014. This year, the Bali Tourism Board expects to lure at least 4.2 million foreign vacationers and 7.8 million domestic visitors.
The Indonesian Government has removed visa requirement for visitors from 47 countries as it seeks to boost the number of tourism. President Joko Widodo expects 20 million foreign arrivals to the country by 2019.-VNA
Indonesian Minister of National Defence Ryamizard Ryacudu said on January 14 that Bali could be the next target of terrorism following bomb attacks in Sarinah, Jakarta.
Investment commitments to Indonesia rose 119 percent in January from a year a go to 206 trillion rupiah (15.8 billion USD), said the Capital Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM).
The Republic of Korea (RoK), China and Japan agreed on May 3 to reinforce the regional financial safety net, along with members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), by launching a new financing facility programme meant to extend greater support in case of a financial crisis.
A technical issue combined with an extreme heatwave was blamed for a series of explosions at a military base that killed 20 soldiers and injured several others in Cambodia on April 27, the country’s Ministry of Defence said in a May 2 statement as reported by the Xinhua news agency.
The Customs Department of Thailand is scheduled to commence the collection of value-added tax (VAT) on imported goods sent via postal services, regardless of the goods value, starting in May.
A lecturer from Chulalongkorn University’s Faculty of Medicine has warned Thais to be more vigilant against COVID-19, saying infection rates appeare to be worsening with higher hospital admissions, deaths and severe cases.
Malaysia should harness the collective expertise and resources to drive sustainable growth and development of the halal industry, according to Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry Zafrul Abdul Aziz.
Laos has officially restored the 10% value-added tax (VAT) rate starting May 1, in a bid to support the country’s budget revenue and socio-economic development.
The ASEAN Future Forum 2024 (AFF 2024) entered its second plenary session in Hanoi on the afternoon of April 23, discussing ways to ensure comprehensive security for the people-centred ASEAN Community.
The first session of the ASEAN Future Forum 2024 (AFF 2024) in Hanoi on April 23 focused on fast and sustainable growth for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
The Canada-ASEAN Business Council (CABC) and the ASEAN Alliance on Carbon Markets (AACM) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen collaboration and accelerate the implementation of carbon crediting programmes across Southeast Asia.
ASEAN Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn reaffirmed ASEAN leaders' commitment to empowering the youth to unleash their full potential when he had a dialogue with ASEAN youth in Hanoi on April 22 on the sidelines of the ASEAN Future Forum (AF 2024).
The Thai Government is being urged to increase the proportion of renewable power generation to more than the target of 50% set in the power development plan (PDP).
The Centre for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (PVMBG) of Indonesia on April 21 lifted its tsunami advisory issued previously following the eruption of Mount Ruang in Sitaro district of North Sulawesi province.
Thailand expects to export about 1 million tonnes of durian, valued at an estimated 130 billion THB (3.53 billion USD) this year, with most of the shipments to China, according to Minister of Agriculture Thammanat Prompao.
The 72nd meeting of the ASEAN Working Group on Intellectual Property Cooperation (AWGIPC) and related meetings are being held by the Ministry of Science and Technology’s Intellectual Property Office (IPO) of Vietnam in the central city of Da Nang on April 22-26.
Enhancing regional food security and tackling the pressing challenges of climate change will be key agendas defining Malaysia’s ASEAN Chairmanship in 2025, Speaker of the Dewan Rakyat (lower house) Johari Abdul told the press on April 19.
Tanah Lot Temple in Bali island (Photo: lonelyplanet.com)
