JAKARTA, April 1 (Xinhua) -- Indonesia recorded 18,460 foreign tourist visits via its main entry points in February, an increase of 151.98 percent compared to a year earlier and 21.91 percent higher than in January, the Statistics Indonesia (BPS) said on Friday.
According to data from the Ministry of Transportation, the main entry points include Bali's I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport, and Riau Islands province's two airports, namely Hang Nadim Airport in Batam and Raja Haji Fisabilillah Airport in Tanjung Pinang.
In total, the number of foreign tourist arrivals from January to February 2022 reached 33,593, according to the BPS.
"The number, indeed, has increased significantly if we compare it with last year, which means our tourism sector is getting better, but it is still far below the millions of foreign tourists we usually recorded before the COVID-19 pandemic," BPS chief Margo Yuwono told a press briefing.
Tourists from China accounted for 16.13 percent of the total in February, followed by Russia with 6.77 percent, and South Korea with 6.35 percent.
Yuwono said Indonesia expected more tourist arrivals in the coming months as the government has removed a number of restrictions, including lifting quarantine requirements for international travelers and granting special visa-on-arrival services for dozens of countries. ■