Jakarta (ANTARA) – The Indonesian Tourism Ministry is refocusing its international marketing strategy in response to the global crisis triggered by conflicts in the Middle East, which have affected the national tourism sector.“We are adopting a pivot strategy, shifting from a focus on European and American markets to placing greater emphasis on Asian markets,” the ministry’s deputy for marketing, Ni Made Ayu Marthini, said in a statement on Friday (April 24).She said priority markets include Southeast Asian countries, particularly Malaysia and Singapore, as well as Japan.Indonesia is also targeting increased tourist arrivals from China, South Korea, Australia, and New Zealand.According to Marthini, these seven markets are considered strategic due to their geographic proximity, direct flight access and the unaffected nature of transit routes through conflict zones.”These markets are closer (to Indonesia), do not require transit through the Middle East and are relatively unaffected by significant ticket price increases,” she said.This refocusing strategy also presents challenges in terms of increased competition with countries in the same region. Therefore, she said, the Tourism Ministry continues to encourage innovation and strengthen cross-sector collaboration in marketing Indonesian tourist destinations.Among the supporting efforts is the co-branding partners program, which involves joint marketing and branding collaborations with various brands – both local and international – to expand the reach of Indonesian tourism promotions while increasing product added value.”We are collaborating with various partners in promoting Indonesian tourism in more creative and effective ways, including by organizing various attractive activities in the regions,” Marthini concluded.