Indonesia expected the number of Chinese tourists to rise to between 850,000 to 900,000 next year from about 750,000 at this year-end, a minister said here on Wednesday.

Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy Mari Elka Pangestu said about 80 million Chinese travel overseas annually. "We should receive more than that (1 percent of Chinese tourists)," she said at her office.

Noting that Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand each has over 1 million tourists from China annually, Mari said the number of Chinese holiday makers to this archipelago has great potential to grow.

"Based on ties and distance, we are closer (to China)," said Mari.

The Southeast Asia's largest economy targets 9 million foreign tourist arrivals in 2013, higher than 8.04 million in 2012.

The tourism industry in Indonesia has recovered from the Asian financial crisis and terrorism attacks in recent years. Endi

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