ONE of the few good things that came out of the worst global economic crisis since the Great Depression of the 1930s is the increased travel activity within Southeast Asia.

With tightened purse strings because of economic uncertainty, few indulged in expensive long-haul travel to North America and Europe.

Instead, vacationing families and friends from the Philippines ventured to nearby countries where airfare and accommodations are much easier on the pocket.

And one of the more popular destinations is Indonesia, which shares a cultural, historical and economic affinity with the Philippines, particularly Mindanao where many Indonesians?the majority from Sulawesi?live.

Vinsensius Jemadu, deputy director for International Relations of Indonesia?s Ministry of Culture and Tourism, reveals in an interview during a recent familiarization trip to Indonesia that the Philippines last year emerged as one of Indonesia?s fastest growing sources of tourists.

?Arrivals from the Philippines have been increasing and that is very good,? says Jemadu. ?We probably closed our eyes to our neighbors before because we were getting a lot of tourists from other places. But now, we are paying more attention to them.?

Jemadu attributes the increase in tourist arrivals from the Philippines to the Filipinos? familiarity with the people and culture of Indonesia and, of course, the many attractions of the world?s biggest archipelago?s top tourist draw?Bali.

Bali attracts millions of tourists every year?mostly from nearby Australia?because of its fine-sand beaches, sumptuous food, folk dances and centuries-old temples that are majestic testaments to the culture that is uniquely Balinese.

?About 80 percent of the visitors to Indonesia go to Bali. Our challenge now is to encourage visitors to explore other parts of the country, which also have a lot to offer,? Jemadu says.

Jakarta, for example, has its old Dutch quarter that offers visitors a taste of how life was like under the long rule of the Dutch over what was once called Batavia.

Then in the cool city of Bandung are the tea plantations left behind by the colonial settlers. Today, a good part of the leaves end up inside Lipton teabags.

Bandung, one of Indonesia?s commercial centers, is also proving to be an irresistible draw for shoppers because of its many outlet stores.

Here, apparel and accessories with brands such as Zara, Banana Republic and Abercrombie and Fitch sell for a fraction of the cost in department stores, which explains why it is a pilgrimage site for fashionistas.

Even those looking for traditional Indonesian batik will not be disappointed as Bandung has many retail outlets that sell batik of all types, from the cheap to the expensive.

Jemadu says that as the Ministry of Culture and Tourism continues its Visit Indonesia campaign, he expects even more tourists from the Philippines to visit Indonesia this year, especially as the global economy is turning around and tourism is again on an upswing.

Flag carrier Philippine Airlines has already anticipated the increase in traffic between the Philippines and Indonesia, which is why it ramped up its flight services in partnership with Garuda Indonesia, the first and largest carrier in Indonesia.

PAL increased its flights from four times to seven times a week?four times via Singapore and three times direct to Jakarta. As a result, its passenger load more than doubled in fiscal year 2008-2009.

?Our direct service from Manila to Jakarta has enjoyed steady growth since 2008 despite the recession, indicating a positive outlook of our operations,? says PAL President Jaime Bautista. ?We need to look after each other in this part of the region.?

These days, what?s good for one country can also be good for another.