REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, SHANGHAI -- Indonesian Ambassador to China Soegeng Rahardjo wants Chengdu to be the new hub of Chinese tourists visiting Indonesia.

"The number of Chinese tourists visiting Indonesia, especially those from the western region, is expected to increase," the ambassador told Antara here, Tuesday.

According to Soegeng, the direct flight from Chengdu to Denpasar (Bali), which was recently started by Indonesian flag carrier Garuda Indonesia has boosted the number of foreign tourists visiting Indonesia from China.

The new flight route, he added, facilitated Chinese tourists, especially those living in the western region, to visit Bali, as they no longer need to depart via Shanghai or Beijing.

With the new route, Garuda already has three direct flight routes from China to Jakarta and Denpasar, via Beijing, Shanghai and Chengdu.

Most Chinese tourists still choose Bali as their main tourist destination.

In 2016, the number of foreign tourists visiting Indonesia from China reached 1.4 million people.

The Indonesian government is targeting 2.5 million foreign tourists from China in 2017.

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