JAKARTA, Dec. 5 (Xinhua) -- The Indonesian government is optimistic to raise the number of foreign tourists coming into the country by nearly triple by 2025 due to acceleration of development, a minister said here on Monday.

Indonesian Coordinating Minister for Economy Hatta Rajasa said that the nation's long-term development master plan program, which is partly aimed at speeding up infrastructure development, was expected to raise the number of foreign tourist arrival to over 20 million people by 2025 from this year's target of 7.7 million people. "With a good connectivity development, we can advance our tourism sector and raise our foreign tourist arrivals to 20 million by 2025 from 7.7 this year target," he said.

To reach the goal, the minister encouraged private sectors to take part in the master plan program. "We must speed up infrastructure development. We will invite all businessmen and we expect them to be able to involve in building airports and other facilities," said Hatta.

Indonesia has relied much on Asian tourists rather than European or American tourists, former tourism minister Jero Wacik has said. Rapid growing economy in the emerging Asia is also expected to boost the rise of foreign tourist arrival in Indonesia in coming years.

The number of foreign holidaymakers visiting Indonesia rose by 8.26 percent to 5.61 million people in the first nine months, the Statistic Bureau has announced.

Indonesia targets 8 million foreign holidaymakers coming into the country next year as the government boost infrastructure development and marketing, Minister for Tourism and Creative Economy Mari Elka Pangestu has said.

The visitors from countries that have emerged relatively unscathed from the credit crisis including China, India and Australia have been the main target of the Indonesian tourism industry, she said.

Over 7 million foreign tourists coming into the country last year, according to the tourism ministry.

The government expects a spending of 8.4 billion U.S. dollars from tourists this year, up from 7.6 billion U.S. dollars last year.

The Indonesian tourism industry has recovered from the impact of terrorism and epidemics.

Source: english.peopledaily.com.cn/90882/7666265.html

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