Jakarta (VNA) – Nearly 244,000 Indian tourists visited Indonesia’sBali resort island during January-November 2017, up 48.25 percent from theprevious year.
Particularly, some 80,000 Indian people chose Bali to spend their holidays fromNovember 2017 to January 2018, 1.5 times higher than the same period one yearago.
Head of the Bali’s Central Statistics Agency (BPS) Adi Nugroho said that mostof the Indians flew directly from their country to Ngurah Rai InternationalAirport and only 1,500 people used cruise ship.
He revealed that India ranks third among source markets of Bali tourism, followingChina and Australia.
Bali has become more attractive to Indian travellers due to its beautifullandscape, sound bilateral relations between India and Indonesia andsimilarities in culture. Furthermore, travel from India to Bali island has beenmade easier thanks to increasing direct flights connecting the two destinations.
In the first 11 months of 2017, Bali welcomed 5.38 million foreign arrivals, ayear-on-year surge of 20 percent. Chinese were the most prolific foreignvisitors in the island, accounting for 25.5 percent of the total, followed byAustralians (19 percent), Indians (4.53 percent), the UK (4.25 percent), the US(3.3 percent), French (3.17 percent), German (3.15 percent) and Korean (3.12percent).-VNA
Speaker of the People’s Representative Council of Indonesia Setya Novanto met with Vietnam’s Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong on August 22, noting that his country attaches importance to enhancing the friendship and multifaceted cooperation with Vietnam.
The Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT) has issued a dispatch asking tour operators to ensure safety for tourists amid volcanic eruption in Bali resort island of Indonesia.
Total trade between Indonesia and New Zealand in the first half of 2025 reached 963.23 million USD, an increase of 21.56% compared to 792.39 million USD in the same period last year. Of this amount, Indonesia's exports to New Zealand totaled 374.89 million USD, while imports 588.35 million USD
Malaysia, as ASEAN 2025 Chair, marked the bloc’s 58th founding anniversary on August 8 with a vibrant celebration in Cyberjaya, blending an official ceremony with a colorful cultural festival.
Vietnam plays an important role in Southeast Asia’s economic growth and is a key partner of her country in realising the shared vision of a peaceful, stable, and prosperous region, said Robyn Mudie, First Assistant Secretary of Office of Southeast Asia (OSA) – Southeast Asia Regional and Mainland Division at Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT).
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The Joint Standing Committee on Commerce, Industry and Banking identified the US tariff reduction as a significant driver behind the improved economic outlook for Thailand.
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Featuring a permanent exhibition area, the ASEAN Hall will function both as a cultural showcase and as a dynamic venue for ASEAN-related events and programmes. Its inauguration on ASEAN Day added symbolic weight, marking a fresh milestone in ASEAN–RoK relations.
Thailand’s Ministry of Commerce and rice exporters are devising strategic plans to boost rice exports amid global market fluctuations, focusing on key markets and adjusting output.
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Indonesian Ambassador Rina P. Soemarno, who currently serves as Chair of the ASEAN Committee in Prague, emphasised the spirit of regional solidarity and cooperation, and the importance of enhancing ASEAN–Czech Republic relations.
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Finance Minister Pichai Chunhavajira has outlined a six-point strategy to promote innovation, support small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and push for Thailand's removal from the US Trade Representative (USTR)’s special 301 Watch List regarding intellectual property rights protection among trading partners.
Vietnamese Ambassador to Israel Ly Duc Trung emphasised ASEAN’s central role in regional mechanisms such as the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) and the East Asia Summit (EAS), highlighting its significant contribution to promoting peace, stability, and prosperity in Southeast Asia.
The consumer index of the University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce (UTCC), fell to 51.7 in July from 52.7 in the previous month. The sluggish economy and the trade war, as well as high living costs, continue to undermine confidence, the university said.
Deputy Speaker of the Hungarian National Assembly Istvan Jakab expressed his hope for further deepening Hungary’s ties with ASEAN countries and called for their support for Hungary’s accession to the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia.
The 30-storey tower crumbled seconds after a 7.7-magnitude earthquake hit neighbouring Myanmar on March 28. The partially built high-rise, meant to house the State Audit Office (SAO), was the only building in Thailand to collapse, killing 89 people on the site, mostly construction workers.
Indonesia’s waste generation is projected to exceed 50 million tonnes in 2025. Of the total, more than 20 million tonnes could potentially enter the ocean through rivers, coastal areas, small islands, ports, and marine activities, and thereby, pose a risk to coastal ecosystems and marine biota.
Indonesia is accelerating plans to increase lithium imports, particularly from Australia, in a bid to fill gaps in the electric vehicle (EV) battery supply chain and realise its ambition of becoming a global EV manufacturing hub.
A view of Bali island (Source: Internet) 
