Denpasar, Bali, June 21 -- Domestic tourists must not be discriminated against, considering their large contribution to the tourism sector, Deputy Minister of Tourism, Ni Luh Puspa, has said.

According to data from the Ministry of Tourism, the number of domestic tourist trips in 2024 reached 1 billion, surpassing the pre-COVID-19 achievement of 722.2 million trips.

"This reflected a strong and rapid recovery after the pandemic. It also emphasized that domestic tourists are the backbone of national tourism. Thus, we must not discriminate against domestic tourists," Puspa said at a public lecture at Mahendradatta University in Denpasar, Bali, on Saturday.

Tourism areas must not prioritize foreign tourists and discriminate against domesti...