Jakarta, April 25 -- 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 consid...