Indonesia economic growth slips to 5.02pc in 2019.

Indonesia's economy grew more slowly than expected last year, official data showed on Wednesday, and officials warned the countryA's lucrative tourism sector faced a negative impact from a drop in Chinese tourists owing to the deadly coronavirus.

Southeast AsiaA's biggest economy expanded 5.02 percent, down from the 5.17 percent the previous year, owing to weakness in exports and softer manufacturing output.

The figures also missed forecasts for a 5.3 percent expansion. In December, the World Bank warned that forest fires which raged across Indonesia last year hit the economy to the tune of some $5.2 billion.

The country was also grappling with slumping prices for key commodities such as coal and palm oil, as well as the effects of a China-US trade war which has roiled economies around the world.

"Sustaining growth in a 5.0 percent range in the current environment isn't easy," statistics agency head Suhariyanto, who goes by one name, told reporters in Jakarta. "So I think achieving 5.02 percent during a global economic slowdown is quite good."

Tourism officials have warned of a drop-off this year as Indonesia throws up barriers to Chinese visitors over fears of a...