PATA’S Indonesia Chapter (PIC) is taking the lead in developing secondary destinations in Indonesia, beginning with a pilot programme in Cirebon that aims to drive tourism to the port city, which is on the north coast of Java and three hours away from Jakarta.
With support from Indonesian industrial estate developer, Jababeka, PIC is creating B2B and B2C platforms, making tourist attractions and other services in a destination more accessible to both the travelling public and the trade.
A B2C booking platform for Cirebon will be launched on October 23.
Agus Canny, director of Jababeka investment & promotion board, who is also PIC’s director of marketing & new business development, said: “Most cities in Indonesia have different tourist attractions, but many of them are not managed or promoted well.”
In Cirebon, for example, there still remains palaces of the late 15th century Muslim sultanate (Keraton Kasepuhan, Kraton Kanoman, Keraton Kacirebonan and Keraton Keprabonan).
Explained Agus: “We are first developing an online ticketing system that enables domestic travellers to buy entry tickets to the palaces.
“PIC (through Jababeka) is inviting Telkom Indonesia and financial institutions to develop a distribution system to sell the palaces (with Kasepuhan as the first).”
Hotels, travel companies and convenience stores within Indonesia can also connect with the network, enabling travellers to buy entry tickets through offline means or directly via the website.
Added Agus: “PIC will also develop a B2B platform by linking the system with the worldwide business network that it has and promote it to international wholesalers (for packaging).”
After Cirebon, PIC will facilitate the development of similar digital platforms in Semarang (Central Java) and Medan (North Sumatra). Currently, 17 destinations are in the pipeline.
“These cities will be linked to each other and content in the website will grow,” Agus said.
While Jababeka’s flagship development is the 5,600 ha industrial township of Kota Jababeka in Cikarang, it has also invested in tourism projects.
Using Kota Jababeka as a blueprint, the company is developing an integrated resort destination in Tanjung Lesung, approximately 200km south-west of Jakarta.
