SHANGHAI, June 4 (Xinhua) -- Indonesian tourism minister expressed hope for an increase of inbound tourists from China during a promotion event held in Shanghai on Monday.

The Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy (MTCE) of the Republic of Indonesia kicked off a swirl of promotional activities focusing on the Chinese market.

"We hope this sales mission can help boost inbound tourism to Indonesia and help make Indonesia the favorite holiday destination for foreign tourists," said Sandiaga Salahuddin Uno, minister of tourism and creative economy.

Chinese tourists registered an average stay in Indonesia for about 8 to 11 days, with an average spending per arrival reaching 1,386.55 U.S. dollars, according to the minister.

The MTCE set a target for inbound Chinese tourists of 1 to 1.5 million for this year, citing rapid growth of the Chinese economy as one of the reasons for validating China as a major market for Indonesia's tourism.

Statistics Indonesia reported that the number of Chinese tourists to Indonesia reached 286,375 in the first three months of this year.