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THE GOVERNMENT of Yunnan Province, China, expressed its readiness to exchange tourists with Indonesia in line with the central government’s new policy of opening access for the country’s tourists to vacation abroad.
“We are ready to send Chinese tourists to Indonesia,” said Han Yue from the Yunnan Provincial Bureau of Culture and Tourism when met in Pu’er City on Sunday (02/12).
Although she does not have official data, the female official said many tourists from her region visit Indonesia, especially Bali. Geographically, Yunnan, which is located in the southern region of China, is relatively closer to countries in the Southeast Asian region, including Indonesia.
The province, which shares borders with Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam, also has a similar cultural background to Southeast Asian countries, including in terms of food.
Yunnan is also one of the largest Muslim communities in China. Admiral Cheng Ho, the legendary Chinese Muslim sailor who is very popular in Indonesia, came from this province.
“Therefore, not a few Muslim tourists from Southeast Asia come to Yunnan because we have many Muslim community sites and halal food of course,” Han said.
Han estimates that the number of Indonesian tourists visiting Yunnan reached 35,000 per year before the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Citilink is the only Indonesian airline that still serves direct flights from Jakarta to Kunming, the capital of Yunnan Province, round-trip until now. We hope Yunnan’s tourism relations with Indonesia will recover soon,” Han added.
Yunnan has two tourist routes. The western route is suitable for adventurous travelers in the wild, such as the Shangrila snow mountains bordering Tibet, while the southern route is visited by tourists who like flora, fauna, culture and cuisine.
Yunnan Province, with its mild winter weather, is a favorite destination for tourists from the central, western, northern and northeastern regions of China, where temperatures are lower during the Lunar New Year holiday season. [sources/photo special]
