Indonesia has a lot of tourist attractions, and some of them are even designated as UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Surprisingly, these kinds of tourist sites are a favorite among foreign tourists.
Candi Borobudur, Komodo National Park, Candi Prambanan, Ujung Kulon National Park, Sangiran Site, Lorentz National Park, Sumatra Rainforest, and Subak in Bali are some of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Indonesia. Apart from having special status as protected by the UN body, these sites are also loved by foreign tourists.
"For UNESCO World Heritage Sites, they are usually a favorite among foreign tourists, especially those from Europe," said Esthy Reko Astuti, the Director General of Tourism Marketing at the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy of the Republic of Indonesia.
According to her, foreign tourists do appreciate the presence of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Indonesia and make them their travel destinations. However, it doesn't mean that local tourists are not paying attention to them.
"Local tourists have also started to visit these sites. Maybe foreign tourists seem more numerous because their countries don't have anything like this in Indonesia," Esthy said.
Esthy added that UNESCO World Heritage Sites have been promoted as special interest tourism destinations in Indonesia. "In addition to the 16 destinations promoted by the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy, there are also seven special interest tourism destinations, and these world heritage sites are one of them," she concluded.