Speakers at the PATA Travel Mart 2016 press conference
INDONESIA has picked South Tangerang in Banten Province as the host city for this year’s PATA Travel Mart (PTM) in an effort to show off the country’s newest and biggest meeting space, the Indonesia Convention and Exhibition (ICE) centre, and its surroundings as a tourism and MICE destination.
Said president and CEO of PATA Indonesia Chapter Poernomo Siswoprasetijo: “Indonesia hosted PTM the last time in 2007 in Bali.
“We are bringing the event back (to Indonesia) after almost a decade later to show the international travel community that Indonesia in general has developed so much (since then), and Banten Province, south of Jakarta, is an example of that.”
ICE, located in Bumi Serpong Damai (BSD) City within South Tangerang, is the country’s largest venue with 50,000m2 of exhibition space, including a 4,000m2 convention hall and 33 meeting rooms.
There are also 2,000 keys available within a 10km radius of ICE, ranging from budget offerings to four-star properties.
Peornomo said: “We will showcase tourist attractions in Banten and the surrounding areas through pre- and post-show tours to Karatau, Tanjung Lengsung and Badui, apart from the usual attractions in Jakarta like Old Jakarta and Mini Indonesia.”
Delegates staying in the hotels around the venue would also have a chance to see the growth of the satellite cities like BSD City, Alam Sutra and Summarecon Serpong.
Aage Hansen, president director of Deutsche Messe Venue Operations, which runs ICE, said: “I have always believed in the importance of a complete integration of the MICE and tourism industries and PTM is a perfect example of the integration of the two portfolios. Both will cause (positive) economic spin-off for the region and (induce) job creation.”
Poernomo added that future Indonesian travel professionals from different universities would take part in the PATA Youth Forum happening during PTM from September 7-9.
PTM this year is expected to attract 1,000 delegates from 60 countries. Some 100 Indonesian travel companies and organisations are expected to take part as sellers.
