Jakarta. Tourism Minister Arief Yahya praised the support and commitment from the Environment and Forestry Ministry to draw 1.5 million international visitors to Indonesia's ecotourism spots as part of the "Indonesia Incorporated" initiative.

The number will shore up the Tourism Ministry's target of 15 million international visitors this year.

Arief said the Environment Ministry has many national parks spread across the archipelago, which are sure to attract many international visitors.

"If they can be developed as special ecotourism destinations, that would be awesome," Arief said on Thursday (25/05).

The Environment Ministry’s director of natural resources and conservation Ismugiono confirmed his office will start contributing more to the tourism sector.

"We will develop ecotourism in our conservation areas. This year, we're targeting 1.5 million foreign and 20 million domestic tourists," Ismugiono said in Jakarta on Wednesday.

Indonesia has many potential world-class ecotourism sites, including the Bromo Tengger Natural Park, Komodo National Park, Kawah Ijen Banyuwangi Natural Park and Tanjung Puting National Park.

"Out of the ten priority tourist destinations set by the government, our ministry will focus on developing four: Bromo-Tengger, Wakatobi, Komodo and Thousand Islands," Ismugiono said.

Currently, ecotourism contributes 35 percent of Indonesia’s entire income from the tourism sector.

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