Arnoldus Kristianus, Jakarta – Indonesia's tourism industry is showing signs of recovery from the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, as the number of international arrivals in the first eight months of this year has already exceeded the total achieved in the entire year of 2022.

The Central Statistics Agency (BPS) reported on Monday that, as of August, 7.44 million foreigners have visited the country, representing 166.12 percent of the 2022 figures.

However, BPS Acting Chairwoman Amalia Adininggar Widyasanti cautioned that a full recovery remains a distant goal, as the number is still significantly below the pre-pandemic levels.

Amalia revealed that during the same period in 2019, the country recorded 10.7 million international visits.

"During the January to August period of 2023, Malaysia became the largest contributor to international arrivals in Indonesia, accounting for 16.2 percent of total foreign visits, followed by Australia with 12.2 percent and Singapore with 11.9 percent," Amalia said during a news conference at the BPS office in Jakarta.

In August alone, the country received 1.13 million visitors, marking the highest monthly number since March 2020 when the pandemic began.

The occupancy rate at star-rated hotels in Indonesia stood at 52.46 percent, reflecting an increase of 5.08 percentage points compared to the same month in 2022.

Source: https://jakartaglobe.id/lifestyle/international-arrivals-through-august-surpass-2022-figure