PATA Indonesia Chapter (PIC) was relaunched yesterday after being dormant for the past five years.
With new chairman Setyono Djuandi Darmono, president commissary of Borobudur, Prambanan and Ratu Boko Temple Park Management at the helm, PIC has set a target of achieving 20 million arrivals by 2020.
Darmono said: “Indonesia is lagging behind its neighbouring countries in tourism. Seven million arrivals a year are too few for a country as big and as rich in attractions as Indonesia.”
“Therefore, PIC is calling on tourism stakeholders to join hands in supporting the tourism authority to boost arrivals with an annual growth of 15 per cent a year.”
Asked if such a target was not overly ambitious considering arrivals to Indonesia had been increasing by between eight to 10 per cent over the last five years, Darmono said: “A growth rate of 15 per cent is still small for a country like Indonesia, when arrivals are only seven million.”
Darmono added that to entice travellers and airlines to Indonesia, more of the country’s tourism products needed to be developed and promoted.
He said that PIC would be working with the Indonesian Sultanates and Kingdoms Association to develop 100 destinations where the various royal houses have a presence. Local tourism stakeholders will be roped in to develop infrastructure and products, as well as promotional initiatives.
“These royal houses are rich in culture and traditions, which are valuable tourism assets,” he said.
