JAKARTA Tourism and Culture Office (JCTO) is organising the inaugural Jakarta Tourism Business Forum (JTBF) to showcase the city’s unique offerings.
Taking place from December 2 to 5, JTBF 2014 comprises one-day table top business sessions, visits to Jakarta’s attractions and Betawi cultural performances.
During yesterday’s business sessions at Millennium Hotel Sirih Jakarta, 100 sellers from Jakarta including hotels, airlines, shopping centres, transportation and tourist atractions met with 194 buyers from around Indonesia as well as regional buyers from Thailand, the Philippines, Singapore, Vietnam and Malaysia.
“JTBF 2014 is one of the strategic steps taken by (the office) to promote the city in a more progressive way,” said Arie Budhiman, head of JCTO. “We act as facilitator to bring together buyers and sellers, hoping that they will work together better in the future.”
Arie said Jakarta had for a number of years been participating at overseas travel marts and roadshows in addition to organising table top meetings in other cities in Indonesia.
“The introduction of tourism products cannot be done through brochures alone – we cannot bring the National Monument along when we promote (Jakarta) in other destinations,” he added.
“Bringing buyers to Jakarta will allow them to see for themselves what we have to offer, and they will meet many more sellers than during our sales missions outside Jakarta.”
Acknowledging the issue of traffic congestion in Jakarta, Arie said the city government is tackling the issue. Mass rapid transport and rail-base communter service are being built while six new toll roads are in the pipeline, in preparation for 2018 when Jakarta hosts the Asian Games.
The city is planning to make JTBF an annual event.
