2009 also to be Visit Indonesia Year

If you didn't travel in Indonesia this year, don't worry -- 2009 will also be the year to visit, with the government planning to extend the "successful" Visit Indonesia program.

"At first many doubted the program's success, yet we have set a new record in our tourism history," Culture and Tourism Minister Jero Wacik said Wednesday.

That record is to have received 6.4 million foreign tourist arrivals, which is the country is on track to meet.

According to an official report from the Central Statistics Agency, there were 4.3 million foreign tourist arrivals in the first nine months of the year.

Although this number is more than 2 million short of the program's target, Jero said he was convinced the full-year target would be met, as the tourist arrivals usually increase in the last quarter of the year, to generate around US$6 billion in foreign exchange income.