Visit Indonesia Year 2008 was officially launched on Wednesday (27 December 2007), with the main aim of attract 7 million foreign tourists and booking US$6.4 billion in foreign exchange income as Antara News Agency/Asia Pulse reported.

To help reach the target, the government is setting aside US$15 million for a domestic and international advertising blitz. The budget will be used to finance the promotion campaign, especially aboard, Culture and Tourism Minister Jero Wacik told a media conference before the grand launch of the program, which will be the second for the country.

This year, foreign tourist arrivals are expected to hit 5.5 million, well short of the 6 million targeted.