Indonesia: In Search of Alternatives to Bali

Adriana Smirnova, 10.12.2013 17:38

Approximately 100-110 thousand Russians are forecasted to visit Indonesia this year. According to official sources, last year this figure was 94,500 Russians. For the past three years the average growth rate of Russian arrivals has been at a steady 8-10%. This information was given to TRN online magazine by Nikolai Dergachev from VITO Russia (Visit Indonesia Tourism Office).

According to him, the majority of Russians choose Bali Island for their holidays (77,727 people), and Java Island, albeit significantly lagging behind, comes second (about 9,300 people).

Our countrymen prefer to go to Indonesia for their New Year holidays: December and January are the most “visited” months. As for the summer months, during that time Russians visit Indonesia the least.

Nikolai Dergachev said that the main tourist ‘providers’ were Moscow, St. Petersburg and other Northwestern Federal District territories, as well as Western Siberia and the Urals. This situation can be in part explained by the travel terms: charter flights are realized in Moscow, Yekaterinburg, Krasnoyarsk, Khabarovsk and Novosibirsk.

The average tour duration preferred by Russians is 12 days. As for the overland travel expenses per person, they average at 1,776$. Daily expenses have been put at 148$ per person.

According to Dergachev, Indonesian authorities expect a steady 8-10% growth of the Russian tourist flow in 2014.

Among the projected novelty seasonal offers is the promotion of Java Island as a travel destination. Diving enthusiasts will be offered tours to Sulawesi Island. As for the alternatives to Bali, Lombok Island can put up a decent competition, since it is famous for its volcanoes, sandy beaches, varied excursion programs and diving, which includes visiting a coral island.

“Indonesia is a country with a great untapped tourism potential which can attract savvy tourists who have already traveled a lot. If the excursion destinations are duly and properly developed, then the tourist flow to Indonesia will undoubtedly grow. As of right now, however, the majority of tourists are only interested in Bali,” says Marina Bakleneva, the CMO of the ‘Neva’ travel agency.