Indonesia is working to develop medical tourism in rural areas as part of the country’s push to sharpen its healthcare offerings, and is doing so through the Indonesia Medical Tourism Association (AWMI).
Speaking to TTG Asia on the side line of World Tourism Network Summit 2023 in Jakarta, Taufik Jamaan, chairman of AWMI, said the association’s work had started in late-2022, and ongoing efforts include collaborating with food processing trainers to ensure hygienic food processing.
AWMI is also embracing digitalisation through the implementation of the Community Telehealth Pavilion (ATM Health). This solution, linked to the Ministry of Health, allows travellers to conveniently check their blood pressure, cholesterol levels, blood sugar, and oxygen saturation.
“For instance, before embarking on a mountain climb, individuals can assess their health condition using ATM Health,” Taufik explained.
The portable nature of ATM Health, which resembles a suitcase, gives it mobility and ease of use in tourism villages.
Taufik explained that AWMI’s role extends beyond medical tourism promotion, as it also actively develops businesses avenues, educates the public, and conducts research on herbal resources across the country. It recently welcomed the Association of Indonesian Herbal Medicine Doctors as a partner in its medical endeavours.
Looking forward, AWMI aims to establish downstream processes to ensure that the community can benefit from research findings. By leveraging research outcomes, it plans to develop various products, such as supplements, powders, herbs, and beverages, which will strengthen Indonesia’s reputation in herbal medicine.
At present, it is collaborating with pharmaceutical companies on verification of herbal medicine by the National Agency of Drug and Food Control and to make herbal medicine more easily accessible to tourists.
The wait appears to be over, as Sri Lanka finally gets ready to launch a new destination marketing campaign come end-July. The 12-month campaign, which comes with a price tag of 1.45 billion rupees (US$17.6 million), will hit key markets the UK, Germany, France, Italy, India, Ukraine, Russia, West Asia, Scandinavia, South Korea, Japan and Australia.
As part of the campaign, Sri Lanka will also commit to participation at travel shows in other markets.
Officials said this is the first major promotion campaign in 15 years.
Chalaka Gajabahu, chairman of the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau, said: “We have appointed a strategic and creative agency, while the PR and social media agency will be soon finalised. We will then go ahead with a two-phased marketing blitz, where the first phase starting end-July is focused on rejuvenating Sri Lanka.”
He also told TTG Asia that the first part of the campaign is aimed at countering negative publicity and creating awareness of Sri Lanka’s readiness to welcome the world.
He elaborated: “Some foreign TV channels are still showing scenes of a (government) protest that happened last year in July. We have come a long way in our recovery, and need to tell the world that Sri Lanka is a safe and welcoming destination.”
More than 1,000 social media influencers from across Sri Lanka’s key markets are being invited this year for a Seeing is Believing campaign which is now underway.
Gajabahu also shared that a model is being developed to enable the country to attract travellers across all seasons, and to showcase Sri Lanka’s wide-ranging points of appeal.
“We want to promote our DNA of adventure, wellness, culture, wildlife and nature, sun and sand, all in one island,” he said.