JAKARTA, Aug. 3 (Xinhua) -- The administration of the Indonesian island of Batam said on Wednesday that its target for international tourists by the end of 2022 could exceed 1 million.
The number of international tourist arrivals in Batam, which is situated close to neighboring countries Singapore and Malaysia, continued to increase every month following ease of travel COVID-19 restrictions.
Head of Batam's Culture and Tourism Agency, Ardiwinata, said that in 2019 the island received 1.9 million of foreign tourists. "We hope this year's visits will rise, hopefully, to more than 1 million."
Over the first half of this year, visitors from Singapore and Malaysia topped the number of visits to Batam with about 22,600 and about 4,700 respectively, followed by India with about 2,200.
"Events are the fastest way to bring in foreign tourists and can increase the length of their stay," Ardiwinata said, adding that infrastructure development in Batam also plays a role in attracting more tourists.
"Many new tourist destinations are also being prepared," he said. ■