Riani Sanusi Putri, Jakarta – Statistics Indonesia (BPS) confirmed a surge in the number of foreign tourist visits in February 2024. Indonesia saw 890,864 arrivals through its main entry points and 145,173 arrivals through its borders.
"Hence, the total number of foreign tourist visits in February 2024 reached 1,036,037 visits," reported Acting Head of BPS Amalia A. Widyasanti. The figure marked an 11.67 percent increase compared to January 2024 and a 38.24 percent increase compared to February of the previous year.
From January to February 2024, there were 1,963,783 visits, signifying a 26.87 percent increase compared to the same period in 2023.
Despite the consistent hike, Amalia noted that the number of foreign tourist visits in the first two months of 2024 was still relatively lower than the same period before the COVID-19 pandemic. There were 2.44 million visits in January-February 2019 and 2.16 million visits in January-February 2020.
In February 2024, Malaysian tourists dominated the number of international travelers arriving in Indonesia, followed by Singapore and China. Tourist visits from Malaysia were recorded to have increased by 37.9 percent monthly and by 42.64 percent annually.
Most foreign tourists arrived in Indonesia via Bali's Ngurah Rai Airport, accounting for 43.81 percent. The largest portion of foreign tourists entering through the airport hailed from Australia at 20.4 percent. Additionally, the average length of stay was seven nights, according to the BPS data.