Jakarta (Indonesia Window) – The number of foreign tourist arrivals through the main gates in Indonesia in February 2022 reached 18,500, an increase both compared to January 2022 and the same period of 2021.

"The number of foreign tourist visits in February 2022 rose 21.91 percent compared to January 2022. If this number is compared to the same period in 2021, it increased by 151.98 percent," Head of the Statistics Indonesia (BPS) Margo Yuwono said during a virtual press conference here on Friday (Apr. 1)

He noted that cumulatively, the number of foreign tourist visits during January-February 2022 was recorded at 33,593. This figure is an increase of 259.59 percent compared to the same period in 2021, when the number of foreign tourists coming to the archipelagic country reached 9,342 visits.

However, Margo said that the increase was still far below the figure before the COVID-19 pandemic hit Indonesia, which in the January-February period 2020 reached 1.8 million visits.

Margo added that the number was recorded for the foreign tourists visiting via the main gates, while the number of those passing through the border entrances has not been received by the BPS.

Reporting by Indonesia Window