The Indonesian Ministry of Tourism is upbeat about achieving its target of 15 million arrivals this year after seeing strong inbound growth in 1H2017, particularly in key source markets.
Indonesia welcomed nearly 6.5 million visitors, or 43 per cent of the year’s target, in 1H2017, representing a 15-18 per cent growth from the same 2016 period.
Key markets China and India are showing immense potential, said deputy minister for international tourism I Gde Pitana, with each growing 40 per cent in June 2017. For the overall 1H period, China grew 45 per cent and Australia 18 per cent.
Pitana said after two years of building the Wonderful Indonesia branding this year, Indonesia will focus on aggressive selling as well as collaboration with airlines and wholesalers to court the Asia-Pacific market.
“We have prepared 54 hardselling activities with 30 exhibitions and 24 sales missions. For promotion we have joined 61 exhibitions such as IT&CM, PATA Travel Mart and 44 festivals in Asia-Pacific (so far), and there are 40 more to go until the end of the year,” Pitana elaborated.
The tourism ministry has also ramped up marketing campaigns across different mediums to the tune of nearly 1.4 billion rupiah (US$103,756). Pitana explained that the ministry has 10 online media partnerships and is targeting 21 million clicks this year, and 666 out of 1,020 units of outdoor advertising in 15 different countries have been rolled out.
The ministry is also looking to attract foreign travellers through border gateways, which is currently estimated to make up 10 per cent of total arrivals annually. A special programme, Hot Deal for Cross Border Tourism, was launched recently to attract travellers from Singapore and Malaysia to fill idle weekday capacity on ferries to Bintan and Batam.
However, Panorama Destination CEO Renato Domini opined that the ambitious future target put forth by the Ministry of Tourism remains a tall call. “We are still lacking adequate air capacity to destinations beyond Bali. Especially for India to really take off, we need more non-stop direct links between the two countries,” he said.
Budget customers can easily explore Alberobello, with its conical “Trulli’ buildings in southern Italy; pull over and bask in the laidback atmosphere of Monteverde in Costa Rica, surrounded by cloud forest or even take a pit-stop to wander around the picturesque village of Bourton-on-the-Water in the Cotswolds, England.
Regularly voted as one of the prettiest villages in England, Bourton-on-the-Water is quintessentially British, with its quaint, stone-built buildings and the small bridges which cross the River Windrush. Stretch your legs for a stroll around the village or sample some of the sweet treats in one of the many traditional tea rooms which line the streets. Renting a car means one can easily travel around and discover the surrounding Cotswolds towns and villages, known in England as an ‘area of outstanding natural beauty’.
In complete contrast, Budget drivers can journey on the winding road to Monteverde which is perched high up on Costa Rica’s continental divide. The village itself is filled with restaurants and artisan craft shops, but the real beauty lies in the surrounding coffee plantations and cloud forests which is home to an abundance of wildlife, including monkeys and colourful birdlife. Monteverde is only accessible by road, so hiring a car is the best way to access this remote Costa Rican village.
With the windows rolled down, explore the pretty region of Puglia in southern Italy, making a stop in Alberobello. Alberobello is most famous for its unusual white-washed houses with cone-shaped roofs, known as Trulli houses which are made from dry stone. Here, one can easily park the Budget car at Largo Martellotta and go on foot, following the steps to the main square, known as Piazza del Popolo, and be rewarded with fabulous views over the entire quirky village. After exploring the sights, refuel on typical Italian cooking in one of the many authentic trattorias. The cuisine is sure to delight!
