Indonesia named second best travel destination in Asia

Indonesia was ranked second in GoAsia's The Best Travel Destination in Asia after Thailand while Malaysia was placed as the third best, the Jakarta Post reported quoting the Indonesia Foreign Ministry as saying on Friday.

Go Asia, a German tourism institution, invited travel agents from all over the world to participate in the voting process on Wednesday in Berlin. The body also gave awards for Asia's best tourism organizations or tourism boards, airlines and tour operators.

Go Asia initiative was started in 2003 to enhance marketing in German-speaking regions. Sapta Nirwandar, Indonesian Culture and Tourism Ministry's director general of marketing, said Friday that the award was a proof that tourism, which contributed 7.5 billion U.S. dollars to the country's income in 2008, was able to survive in the global economy slowdown.

"We have to keep working hard to turn this economic slowdown as a chance to boost our tourism," he said. Sapta added that the number of German tourists visiting Indonesia had increased by 22.6percent in 2008 compared to the previous year.

Xinhua