MALAYSIAS STRATEGY IN ATTRACTING THE MIDDLE EASTS TOURIST: A LESSON FOR INDONESIA By: USMAR SALAM Department of International

Relations Faculty of Social and Political Sciences Universitas Gadjah Mada

Indonesia and Malaysia are relying on tourism in economic development, since this sector had multi effects. The two countries are both developing inbound tourism which means as the receiving tourism country. One of the targets of the struggled by the two countries is the Middle East, besides Japan, China and Europe, since the tourist from the Middle Easts region is very wasteful, they always want to live in luxury hotels during their visits to a foreign country. When compared with Indonesia, Malaysia is more successful in attracting tourists visit from the Middle East this can be seen from the number of tourists visit to Malaysia which is much higher than Indonesia. In 2008 Malaysia could draw more than 400 thousand tourists from the Middle East and in 2009, 2010 and 2011, the number of tourists visit from the Middle East to Malaysia increased steadily. While Indonesia was always below Malaysia in attracting tourists from the Middle East and sits on the order of ten after Singapore, Malaysia, Japan, Europe, South Korea, Australia, China, Philippines and India. See the potential of Indonesia to attract tourists from the Middle East are larger compared with Malaysia, since Indonesia has many tourists destinations as well as international gates are open wide. Indonesia also has a majority Muslim population that could be a tourist attraction of the region as well as with the richness of nature when its compared with Malaysia. Malaysias success in attracting tourists from the Middle East caused by the countrys strategy is good enough in making policies on tourism. To that end, this paper will certainly be focused and answers on how the Malaysian strategy in attracting tourist from the Middle East and what lessons could be taken by Indonesia.