INDONESIA, MALDIVES STEP UP COOPERATION IN TOURISM by Fardah

Jakarta, June 29, 2017 (Antara) - As archipelagic countries, Indonesia and Maldives share common interest in tourism sector and concerns over climate change impacts.

          Indonesia has more than 17 thousand islands, while Maldives has nearly 1.2 thousand. 
    The two countries have been blessed with white sandy beaches having crystal clear turquoise waters where various species of coral reefs and fish live abundantly.

        Almost similar to Indonesia, tourism is the largest economic industry in the Maldives, as it plays an important role in earning foreign exchange revenues and generating employment.

        Climate change, however, has threatened the two countries as some of their low-lying islands are being flooded by rising sea levels. Climate change may wipe some of their islands off the map.

        Therefore, bilateral cooperation in tourism and climate change were among issues discussed by Indonesian Foreign Affairs Minister Retno LP Marsudi and her guest, Foreign Minister of Maldives Mohamed Asim, in Jakarta on June 21, 2017.

         "Maldives is famous for its tourism, and Indonesia also has a huge potential in tourism sector," Marsudi said.

         They agreed to share experiences in developing the tourism sector and its promotional strategy.   
    Based on data from tradingeconomics.com, tourist arrivals in Maldives increased to 119,774 in April from 112,665 in March 2017. Tourist Arrivals in Maldives averaged 99,803,25 per month from 2012 until 2017, reaching an all-time high of 125,336 in January 2017 and a record low of 59,379 in June 2012.

          Maldives, which has become the world's most popular tourism destination, has been developing hotels, in which most of the decorating furniture are from Indonesia.