 Indonesia is expected to miss its target of luring six million foreign tourists to its shores this year after being struck by a series of calamities, a minister said Wednesday.
| Some of the "calamities" were explosions targeting those selfsame tourists. They don't do that kind of stuff in Tahiti, y'know... |
The target of six million had been set after about five million arrivals were recorded for 2004, but the tsunami which devastated Aceh, Bali bombing and bird flu outbreaks meant it would not be reached, he said.
| A tsunami will kind of put a crimp into the beach traffic, won't it? But there's a difference between nature and hostile Islamists. |
Indonesia's tourism industry, which employs 8 million people, was hit by a suicide bomb on Oct. 1 that killed 23 people, close to the anniversary of an attack on Bali that killed 202 people in 2002. Car bombs at the JW Marriot Hotel in August 2003 and at the Australian embassy in September 2004 in Jakarta have kept foreign travelers away.
| But other than that, things are fine. Except for the occasional schoolgirl getting her head lopped off. But they're not tourists, so not to worry... |
Wacik said he would try to boost spending on international promotions from three million dollars this year to 18 million dollars in 2006, focusing on the Chinese, Indian and the Middle Eastern markets. |