JAKARTA, March 14 (Xinhua) -- Potential investors attending the 2018 Regional Investment Forum (RIF) put great interests to invest in Indonesia's tourism sector, an Indonesian senior official said on Wednesday.

"Millions of people across the world have ascended to middle class and changed their consumption patterns and habits, which has been felt in Indonesia as rapid growth in tourism seen in the last several years," Head of Indonesia Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM) Thomas Lembong said in the forum in Yogyakarta, aimed at boosting investment in the country.

Citing the data released by his office, Thomas said that investment in Indonesian tourism has averagely grew 20 percent per year in the last five years.

In 2017, Indonesia registered an enormous investment growth of 31 percent in tourism sector at 1.7 billion U.S. dollars, Thomas added.

In domestic respect, Thomas said that Indonesia's middle class has risen to 52 million, contributing 43 percent to total Gross Domestic Products (GDP).

Indonesia Tourism Minister Arief Yahya said that Indonesian tourism was among the ones in the world to see rapid growth.

Investment in the sector has demonstrated impressive growth last year, 102 percent from the government's target in the year, he added.

Indonesian government is now promoting 10 new destinations across the country to attract more foreign tourists, he said.

The 2018 RIF was jointly organized by the BKPM, tourism ministry, national creative economy agency of Bekraf and Yogyakarta municipality.

It was attended by 350 participants, including 71 foreign potential investors from South Korea, Middle East, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, Australia, China, Britain, India, Russia and the United States.