Macau wants more Indonesians

THE MACAU Government Tourist Office (MGTO) is targeting 220,000 arrivals from Indonesia by 2012, a 5.7 per cent increase over last year’s 208,000 visitors.

Cecilia Tse, MGTO head of promotion & marketing department, said: “Indonesia is an important market for us. It is one of our top 10 markets despite the lack of direct air access.”

MGTO Indonesia is busy trying to persuade airlines to launch direct services between the two destinations.

David Harsamto, director of Intrarep, MGTO’s representative in Indonesia, said: “We are talking to Lion Air, as well as Mandala Airlines, which is preparing to operate again with new investors, to consider adding Macau as one of their destinations.”

Viva Macau used to provide direct connections between Jakarta and Macau until the airline’s operating license was terminated in March 2010. Mandala took on the abandoned route a few months before it ceased operations due to financial difficulties (TTG Asia e-Daily, January 13).

Besides the efforts to establish direct air links, MGTO is also working with Indonesia-based outbound agents to create leisure and incentive travel packages.

Besides sales missions to bring the Macau trade to meet their Indonesian counterparts and update them on products, MGTO also recently organised a joint promotional trip to Indonesia, together with Hong Kong Tourist Association and representatives from various China provincial tourist offices.

Tse said: “With the help of the agents here, we will hopefully be able to increase travel demand, so that Indonesian airlines will be interested to fly to Macau.”

Currently, Cathay Pacific and Garuda Indonesia fly from Jakarta to Hong Kong, where travellers can catch a ferry to Macau.

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