TOURISM New Zealand has opened its first representative office in Jakarta to net more of the rapidly growing Indonesian outbound market.
Led by Christian Sidharta, country manager Indonesia for Tourism New Zealand, the office will be fully running by early November.
The decision to open the office was based on a series of market analyses including the examination of consumer trends, market size and behaviour.
Tim Burgess, general manager Australia and Indonesia of Tourism New Zealand, said: “Our research confirmed the sizable potential that Indonesia presents. Indonesians predominantly travel as families, and have an older age group skew. New Zealand’s scenic landscapes and natural attractions are key interests, as are our food and craft markets, vineyards and unique culture.”
Growth in demand for outbound travel from Indonesia rose 9.7 per cent last year, fuelled by economic growth and the emergence of LCCs. “Visitation to New Zealand is growing at a similar rate, with 12,500 visitors in the year ending May 2013,” Burgess commented.
Tourism New Zealand recently launched its website newzealand.com in Bahasa Indonesia to tap Indonesians’ frequent use of mobile devices and social media.
Burgess also said: “As with any market, aviation links are critical to the success of a sustainable visitor flow. To date, we have engaged with Indonesia from our Singapore office, and New Zealand has been promoted through indirect services with the likes of Singapore Airlines and Malaysia Airlines.
“The obvious goal is to secure direct air links to Jakarta, and both Auckland International Airport and Tourism New Zealand have recently been in positive discussions with Garuda Airlines, but no date has been committed to at this stage.”
