TOURISM TO INDONESIA slumped following the Bali bomb blasts in October 2002 and during last year's Sars outbreak, but visitor arrivals are now on the rise again.
Hong Kong travellers were among the visitors who pushed up arrivals in the country to 2.13 million for the first six months of this year, compared with 1.58 million over the same period last year.
Tourism is the country's second-largest foreign exchange earner after textiles in the non-oil and gas sector.
Travel stories about Indonesia in the local media have helped revive tourism. 'Some of the local stations in Hong Kong have done stories and we have received many inquiries from those,' said Dwatmaji Hanomanresi, consul for information at the Indonesian consulate.
The consulate also works closely with travel organisations to boost interest in the country and to promote tours there.
Mr Hanomanresi said a group of Hong Kong-based Indonesian domestic helpers who are skilled at Balinese dance and traditional bamboo dancing perform at venues around Hong Kong and Macau, further spreading the word.